PSYCHODRAMA +/- INTENSIVE
A Psychodrama & Adjacent Practice Weekend Intensive (NYC)
Saturday April 18 - Sunday April 19 2026
Brooklyn Art Exchange, 421 5th Ave Brooklyn NY
$250-350
Brooklyn Art Exchange, 421 5th Ave Brooklyn NY
$250-350
Psychodrama is an incredibly powerful and deeply transformative method of drama therapy. The founder of psychodrama, Jacob Moreno in Vienna in the 1920s defined it as, “the science which explores the truth by dramatic methods.” Like many practices, over time, psychodrama has developed a “center” of practice, which in turn has encouraged many to explore its edges and margins - aspects that are related but perhaps somewhat more tangential and adjacent. This weekend will be devoted to both center and margins (the “+ / -“ ).
The center of psychodramatic practice is enacted with a group, whereby a director guides a participant (or “protagonist”) through a dramatic exploration of their psyche. Scenes of the past, present or future, conflicts and resolutions, and/or dynamics between inner parts, are all expressed through gesture, sound, movement and words and then mapped in physical space as participants (or “auxiliaries”) stand-in for parts or internalized others. The core method of psychodrama involves role reversals, whereby the protagonist oscillates dynamically between the roles in whatever scene they are exploring, thereby empathizing with their wild totality through dialogue. Directors typically guide a scene to not only repeat and reveal dynamics, but also modify them, allowing trauma to be re-negotiated through the power of our collective imaginations. A typical psychodrama lasts anywhere from 30-120 minutes. This weekend we will explore this center by building up to enacting full-length psychodramas, and also deconstructing the practice into exercises where participants can learn to practice the main techniques: role reversals, doubling, empty chair, etc.
The margins that we will be exploring modify some of the core components of psychodramatic practice, but retain the core emphasis on dramatic representation and exploration of one’s psyche. One margin that I am very invested in collectively exploring is one where we bridge the role of director and protagonist, thereby imbuing participants with increased agency over their own process of transformation. This will process will be aided by a practice called Fool Expression: a clowning-adjacent partswork practice developed by Christie Animas and Franki Anderson. Another margin I am interested in is the honing and sharpening of our capacity to dramatically express parts or internalized others. To help with this I will bring in some clowning techniques, and techniques of signal amplification from Processwork. A third margin we will explore is one that moves psychodramatic practice closer towards emergence and group process. This will be brought in via a technique called Clearing that I have been developing inspired by Family Constellations, John Zorn’s Cobra and Theatre of the Oppressed.
Our collective intention is that this weekend will provide us with a greater capacity to hold, nourish and beautify our psyches (the rich and dynamic breadth of images, voices, parts, internalized others, complexes, and archetypes) and provide renewed creative vitality and agency to play with these inner worlds together towards the collective goal of healing and self expression. This workshop is for all levels of experience: those who have never heard of psychodrama, those who are novices in dramatic-authentic expression, and those who are deeply familiar and experienced with these things. It is designed for therapists, or healing arts practitioners who want to learn new techniques to add to their repertoire. And it is designed for those who want to transform, expand, and deepen their self expression (and who may have a career totally unrelated to the therapeutic arts). Our weekend will be more experiential than theoretical. Please come with an open mind and heart.
–🌾— PRACTICALS DETAILS —🌾–
Structure & Rough Schedule:
Saturday morning 10:00-1:00pm Opening circle, introductions, agreements, warm ups, sociometric games, first baby steps into psychodramatic practice. 1 hour Lunch break.
Saturday afternoon 2:00-6:00pm. Deepening into the practice and enacting full-length psychodramas.
Sunday afternoon 1:00-6:00pm. More practice and exploration, integration, closing circle and reflection [no large break on Sunday, so please bring snacks to share]
Costs: Price is tiered based on 3 income levels. All prices are in USD. Please try to reasonably and honestly select the price that reflects your economic situation. If you are unable to find a price that is suitable for you, please get in touch. We are committed to covering our basic costs, while also making this possible for everyone who needs it.
Price: Price is tiered sliding scale based on 3 income levels. All prices are in USD.
Tier 1 $350 / Tier 2 $300 / Tier 3 $250 BIPOC: Tier $250
Partial Attendance: All participants are required to arrive at 10am on Saturday for the opening circle. We encourage participants plan to stay for the entire time, however leaving early (if necessary) is possible.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event - minus a $20 processing fee. After this time we are unable to provide a refund for the event.
Any questions? Please email: [email protected]
Maximum # of Participants for the workshop is 15
NOTE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION: This intensive will involve the exploration of diverse emotional landscapes that unfold within and among our psyches. Many of the practices we explore are designed to cultivate vulnerability, with its pleasures and hardships, and might be compared to the way one's deepest romantic relationships sometimes surface one's most challenging psychological material. Conflict and hurt may arise that might conventionally be quieted or minimized. It is not uncommon for participants to encounter triggers of psychological wounds within these practices, and this should be considered a possibility. The facilitators will use techniques to contain and care for what arises, but will not be able to provide ongoing care for emotional fallout. We invite you to be watchful of one's own safety and opt out in little and big ways as needed, and to have emotional processing methods in place (such as therapy, meditation, journaling, processing with friends, etc) that can help you learn with and from what happens at the intensive. Additionally, we ask that you have some inner settledness and calm available so we can play deeply together. If at this moment in your life you find you are highly activated by something you cannot set down, it may be best not to participate at this time. We understand that therapy can be very expensive and trusted therapists are hard to find, and there might be some temptation to come to this group for that kind of care, but it is not designed for that kind of individual attention.
Note on Out-of-Town Guests: The Deep Play Institute is not able to provide accommodations for out-of-town participants. DPI is also not able to refund any travel or housing costs in the unlikely event of cancellation.
The center of psychodramatic practice is enacted with a group, whereby a director guides a participant (or “protagonist”) through a dramatic exploration of their psyche. Scenes of the past, present or future, conflicts and resolutions, and/or dynamics between inner parts, are all expressed through gesture, sound, movement and words and then mapped in physical space as participants (or “auxiliaries”) stand-in for parts or internalized others. The core method of psychodrama involves role reversals, whereby the protagonist oscillates dynamically between the roles in whatever scene they are exploring, thereby empathizing with their wild totality through dialogue. Directors typically guide a scene to not only repeat and reveal dynamics, but also modify them, allowing trauma to be re-negotiated through the power of our collective imaginations. A typical psychodrama lasts anywhere from 30-120 minutes. This weekend we will explore this center by building up to enacting full-length psychodramas, and also deconstructing the practice into exercises where participants can learn to practice the main techniques: role reversals, doubling, empty chair, etc.
The margins that we will be exploring modify some of the core components of psychodramatic practice, but retain the core emphasis on dramatic representation and exploration of one’s psyche. One margin that I am very invested in collectively exploring is one where we bridge the role of director and protagonist, thereby imbuing participants with increased agency over their own process of transformation. This will process will be aided by a practice called Fool Expression: a clowning-adjacent partswork practice developed by Christie Animas and Franki Anderson. Another margin I am interested in is the honing and sharpening of our capacity to dramatically express parts or internalized others. To help with this I will bring in some clowning techniques, and techniques of signal amplification from Processwork. A third margin we will explore is one that moves psychodramatic practice closer towards emergence and group process. This will be brought in via a technique called Clearing that I have been developing inspired by Family Constellations, John Zorn’s Cobra and Theatre of the Oppressed.
Our collective intention is that this weekend will provide us with a greater capacity to hold, nourish and beautify our psyches (the rich and dynamic breadth of images, voices, parts, internalized others, complexes, and archetypes) and provide renewed creative vitality and agency to play with these inner worlds together towards the collective goal of healing and self expression. This workshop is for all levels of experience: those who have never heard of psychodrama, those who are novices in dramatic-authentic expression, and those who are deeply familiar and experienced with these things. It is designed for therapists, or healing arts practitioners who want to learn new techniques to add to their repertoire. And it is designed for those who want to transform, expand, and deepen their self expression (and who may have a career totally unrelated to the therapeutic arts). Our weekend will be more experiential than theoretical. Please come with an open mind and heart.
–🌾— PRACTICALS DETAILS —🌾–
Structure & Rough Schedule:
Saturday morning 10:00-1:00pm Opening circle, introductions, agreements, warm ups, sociometric games, first baby steps into psychodramatic practice. 1 hour Lunch break.
Saturday afternoon 2:00-6:00pm. Deepening into the practice and enacting full-length psychodramas.
Sunday afternoon 1:00-6:00pm. More practice and exploration, integration, closing circle and reflection [no large break on Sunday, so please bring snacks to share]
Costs: Price is tiered based on 3 income levels. All prices are in USD. Please try to reasonably and honestly select the price that reflects your economic situation. If you are unable to find a price that is suitable for you, please get in touch. We are committed to covering our basic costs, while also making this possible for everyone who needs it.
Price: Price is tiered sliding scale based on 3 income levels. All prices are in USD.
Tier 1 $350 / Tier 2 $300 / Tier 3 $250 BIPOC: Tier $250
Partial Attendance: All participants are required to arrive at 10am on Saturday for the opening circle. We encourage participants plan to stay for the entire time, however leaving early (if necessary) is possible.
Cancellation Policy: Refunds are available up to 30 days before the event - minus a $20 processing fee. After this time we are unable to provide a refund for the event.
Any questions? Please email: [email protected]
Maximum # of Participants for the workshop is 15
NOTE ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION: This intensive will involve the exploration of diverse emotional landscapes that unfold within and among our psyches. Many of the practices we explore are designed to cultivate vulnerability, with its pleasures and hardships, and might be compared to the way one's deepest romantic relationships sometimes surface one's most challenging psychological material. Conflict and hurt may arise that might conventionally be quieted or minimized. It is not uncommon for participants to encounter triggers of psychological wounds within these practices, and this should be considered a possibility. The facilitators will use techniques to contain and care for what arises, but will not be able to provide ongoing care for emotional fallout. We invite you to be watchful of one's own safety and opt out in little and big ways as needed, and to have emotional processing methods in place (such as therapy, meditation, journaling, processing with friends, etc) that can help you learn with and from what happens at the intensive. Additionally, we ask that you have some inner settledness and calm available so we can play deeply together. If at this moment in your life you find you are highly activated by something you cannot set down, it may be best not to participate at this time. We understand that therapy can be very expensive and trusted therapists are hard to find, and there might be some temptation to come to this group for that kind of care, but it is not designed for that kind of individual attention.
Note on Out-of-Town Guests: The Deep Play Institute is not able to provide accommodations for out-of-town participants. DPI is also not able to refund any travel or housing costs in the unlikely event of cancellation.
TESTIMONIALS
FROM PAST PSYCHODRAMA INTENSIVES
"Aaron and The Deep Play Institute's Psychodrama workshop was a joyous, deep, uplifting experience. I felt both held in safety and able to expand my range."
"Aaron was a skilled facilitator and space holder. I felt myself go from feeling unsure and trepidatious about the weekend to feeling so much love, connection and safety by the end of the weekend. Aaron also taught us skills we can use on our own and with friends so we can integrate some of this work into our lives. I'd definitely recommend this workshop and look forward to attending more events with the Deep Play Institute."
"The facilitator of the Psychodrama Intensive did an excellent job of creating a safe environment to play, explore and dive deep. I learned some valuable tools to help support myself. I experienced a lot of compassion for others as I witnessed their challenges."
"Aaron creates a comfortable container for self and group exploration. He holds space for emergent expression and sensitive exploration. During the weekend intensive, there was a moment when I was in a role, got confused and panicked. I was able to say so and he was right there to help me get my bearings again. So grateful to get to explore my edge and psyche in a low pressure environment."
"This was a fantastic workshop! Seeing internal experiences and dialogues played out physically was revelatory, and showed me how our internal worlds can be powerfully explored in a group."
"Aaron and The Deep Play Institute's Psychodrama workshop was a joyous, deep, uplifting experience. I felt both held in safety and able to expand my range."
"Aaron was a skilled facilitator and space holder. I felt myself go from feeling unsure and trepidatious about the weekend to feeling so much love, connection and safety by the end of the weekend. Aaron also taught us skills we can use on our own and with friends so we can integrate some of this work into our lives. I'd definitely recommend this workshop and look forward to attending more events with the Deep Play Institute."
"The facilitator of the Psychodrama Intensive did an excellent job of creating a safe environment to play, explore and dive deep. I learned some valuable tools to help support myself. I experienced a lot of compassion for others as I witnessed their challenges."
"Aaron creates a comfortable container for self and group exploration. He holds space for emergent expression and sensitive exploration. During the weekend intensive, there was a moment when I was in a role, got confused and panicked. I was able to say so and he was right there to help me get my bearings again. So grateful to get to explore my edge and psyche in a low pressure environment."
"This was a fantastic workshop! Seeing internal experiences and dialogues played out physically was revelatory, and showed me how our internal worlds can be powerfully explored in a group."
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
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Aaron Finbloom is a philosopher, artist, therapist, and educator whose work aims to expand transformative inquiry through relational games, role play, performance art, and conversation scores. He co-founded The School of Making Thinking (SMT) and is the founder and director of The Deep Play Institute (DPI). His projects have been featured internationally at venues such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Gallery 151 in New York, Maschinenhaus Kulturbrauerei in Berlin, UNAM in Mexico City, Performance Works Northwest in Portland, and MainLine Theatre in Montreal. Trained in Circling, Psychodrama, Buddhist Meditation, and Processwork, Aaron holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities from Concordia University in Montreal and teaches philosophy at the City College of New York. www.finblooming.com.
*Please note that while the facilitator brings professional training and practical experience in psychodrama to their work, they do not hold formal certification as a psychodramatist; their work draws on this background, as well as techniques and practices beyond psychodrama, to offer participants a supported, caring, and attuned container that also allows hopes to provide greater fluidity than the traditional center of the practice. |