The Benefits of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Sociodrama
Psychodrama
Developed by Jacob L. Moreno, MD., psychodrama allows people to work through their problems and issues in action. By bringing issues into the "here and now," participants not only have a chance to express feelings they've stuffed down, develop insight about themselves, their relationships, and practice new responses to challenging or unsatisfying situations. Psychodrama also helps people access the spontaneity they need to respond to life in creative, more successful, and satisfying ways.
By putting issues and problems into action and providing a space to experience alternative responses, psychodrama can "rewire" the brain. In contrast to "talking about" issues and problems, psychodrama brings them to life. Participants have a chance to explore the stories (the social, familial, and personal rules and beliefs) that keep them from using more effective strategies and experiment with new beliefs and ways of reacting. Participants also develop empathy because they get the chance to reverse roles with others and experience the world through each other's eyes.
This video of Zerka Moreno gives a brief example of psychodrama in action.
This video of Zerka Moreno gives a brief example of psychodrama in action.
This video features Jean Campell directing a short psychodrama on Ted Talks.
A transformational and innovative technique | Dr. Magdalene Jeyarathnam TEDxNITTrichy
What is Psychodrama?
Nan Nally-Seif, LCSW, TEP and Jacob Gershoni, LCSW, TEP Psychodrama Training Institute / a division of the Sociometric Institute of NY
The Experience of Psychodrama
Robert Siroka, PhD Sociometric Institute (1975)
Spontaneity
J. L. Moreno, the founder of Psychodrama, thought spontaneity was a crucial aspect of mental health. This video is a brief overview of what spontaneity is
Sociometry
Sociometry is a method for studying social relationships within groups (such as family, social, work or school, therapy/personal growth, and community). Sociometric exercises help:
- Group members become aware of the connections and/or lack of connections between members in a group.
- Group members explore the choices they make about who to interact with and who to avoid or exclude.
- Group members become aware of the impact their choices have on each other and on the group as a whole.
- Reveal the roles various group members yearn for and the roles members get stuck in. This information helps group members integrate the group isolates and reduce the role demand (and thus the likelihood of burnout) experienced by the over chosen.
- Repair and restore group members’ social circles so that they can be sources of support, comfort, and connection.
Sociometry
Sociometry is a method for studying social relationships within groups (such as family, social, work or school, therapy/personal growth, and community). Sociometric exercises help:
- Group members become aware of the connections and/or lack of connections between members in a group.
- Group members explore the choices they make about who to interact with and who to avoid or exclude.
- Group members become aware of the impact their choices have on each other and on the group as a whole.
- Reveal the roles various group members yearn for and the roles members get stuck in. This information helps group members integrate the group isolates and reduce the role demand (and thus the likelihood of burnout) experienced by the over chosen.
- Repair and restore group members’ social circles so that they can be sources of support, comfort, and connection.
Sociometry
Sociometry is a method for studying social relationships within groups (such as family, social, work or school, therapy/personal growth, and community). Sociometric exercises help:
- Group members become aware of the connections and/or lack of connections between members in a group.
- Group members explore the choices they make about who to interact with and who to avoid or exclude.
- Group members become aware of the impact their choices have on each other and on the group as a whole.
- Reveal the roles various group members yearn for and the roles members get stuck in. This information helps group members integrate the group isolates and reduce the role demand (and thus the likelihood of burnout) experienced by the over chosen.
- Repair and restore group members’ social circles so that they can be sources of support, comfort, and connection.
TV 2: All That We Share
We live in a time where we quickly put people in boxes. Maybe we have more in common than what we think? Introducing All That We Share. The English version.
Sociodrama
Sociodrama is the technique J.L. Moreno, MD. developed to explore conflicts and issues ingrained in social roles. Whereas psychodrama enables a specific individual to addresses their particular issues or problems, sociodrama addresses the problems and issues of the group. By putting agreed upon social situations into action, group members get a chance to express their thoughts and feelings, gain deeper understanding of their values, and practice new ways of dealing with problems.
"Any truly therapeutic procedure can have for its object no less than the whole of humankind." J. L. Moreno
Workshops
Regina Sewell offers professional development as well as personal growth workshops.
Personal Growth Group
Co-led with Jen Salimbene
New Group begins Winter 2026.
Through experiential methods, we will:
- explore what gets on the way of being the best of who you can be
- transform old messages into more empowering ones
- try out new ways of responding to challenging situations.
We will help you tune into your inner wisdom to better navigate life’s challenges.
Group therapy has a number of advantages.
- It helps people realize they are not alone - that other people have experienced similar things or feelings or at least can empathize with the feelings,
- It helps facilitate the giving and receiving of emotional support
- It helps people learn to look inside and give voice to their thoughts and feelings
- It helps learn to relate to others in more effective and healthy ways
- Group therapy provides a safe place to practice more effective ways to get your needs met
- Group therapy provides a chance to develop comradery with people who are on the same or on a similar journey
- Group therapy helps instill hope.
Grief is a complex and often misunderstood experience. In our society, there is frequently an expectation to move on from grief quickly. However, grief does not conform to a set timeline. It cannot be hurried or simply “fixed.” Instead, grief demands attunement, compassion, and patience from both the individual experiencing loss and those supporting them.
Understanding the unique needs of grieving clients, we are better equipped to guide clients through the grieving process.
This workshop for social workers, mental health counselors, creative arts therapists, coaches and clergy will use experiential methods to address various types of grief and loss, identify the needs of individuals who are grieving and explore components of grief. Participants will learn psychodramatic techniques to effectively support grieving clients as they process their losses and move toward growth and meaning.
Workshop will be presented under the auspices of the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute at Boughton Place in Highland, NY March 21-22, 2026
Registration opens in December, 2025 at https://hvpi.net/training-and-workshops/
Join Psychodramatists Jennifer Salimbene and Regina Sewell and Sociometrist and Recovery Coach Ruth Riddick on the famed Moreno Stage as we embody and experience the Stages of Recovery model mapping the recovery journey across a lifetime. This workshop is based on the work of Kathleen O'Connell and Phil Valentine in the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy.
This is the theoretical model behind the SAMHSA definition of recovery: "A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.
If you work with individuals at any stage of recovery, this experiential workshop is for you!
Workshop is a joint venture between the Center for Creative Action Strategies and Sobriety Together and will be held at Boughton Place in Highland, NY February 21-22, 2026
Igniting Hope: Helping Clients Imagine Better Possibilities
Clients often come to counseling looking for hope. Their circumstances, experiences and internal dialogue can make it difficult to see that something better is possible. Our job is to help them challenge the narratives that keep them stuck and find the resources that can help them lean into hope. Hope is an act of imagination with real-world consequences. In this workshop, we will talk about the science of hope and show how to use psychodramatic techniques to spark clients’ hope so that they can find the motivation needed to change. Workshop will be presented at the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama 84th Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, NY May 6-10.
Future Workshops Date to be announced:
Through the Looking Glass: Accepting the Body You Have
- When you look in the mirror, do you focus your attention on the parts of your body that you wish you could change?
- Are you ashamed of what you look like without the protective layer of clothes?
- Are you afraid you’d morph into something hideous if you quit your intense diet and workout routines?
- Would you like to feel better about your body as it is right now?
- Would you like to be less concerned about how you think others see your body?
Join us as we explore the roots of our perceptions about our bodies and experience what it might feel like to see our bodies differently.
Switching off the Autopilot and Reclaiming the Driver’s Seat: A Workshop on Getting Unstuck
Have you made a resolution to do differently and live differently beginning in the New Year but find that you are stuck in a pattern that is difficult to break? Do you find that circumstances (fear, family, work, lack of vision for yourself…) are holding you back from making positive changes in your life?
If so, this workshop will help you gain:
- A better understanding of the place/places in your life where you feel stuck
- Insight into the ways that being stuck serve you
- Clarity about the habits, beliefs, and external realities that make it difficult for you to change
- Momentum to move towards getting unstuck