ENACTING TRANSFORMATION WITH FAIRYTALES AND MYTHS:
Harnessing the Power of Story for Healing and Development in Groups Across the Life Span

With Rebecca Walters, MS, LMHC, LCAT, TEP

May 2-3, 2026

Saturday 1-6:30 PM– Sunday 9- 5:00 PM

Location: Boughton Place, Highland, NY
Home of the original Moreno Psychodrama Stage
Overnight accommodations are available on site and nearby.

By integrating psychodrama with the timeless wisdom of fairytales and myths, facilitators can create powerful opportunities for transformation at any stage of life. This approach not only helps individuals navigate personal challenges but also strengthens the fabric of group life. inviting all participants to become active agents in their own stories of growth and renewal.

Working with fairytales and myths in a group setting enhances collective growth. Participants witness each other’s journeys, offer support, and discover common ground.

The process fosters trust, empathy, playfulness and a sense of belonging, which are all essential for psychological well-being. It provides an avenue for:

• Building Community: Shared enactment builds group cohesion and mutual understanding as well as offering an opportunity for shared play.

• Promoting Healing: Story-based psychodrama provides a platform for catharsis and emotional integration.

• Encouraging Change: Transformative narratives empower individuals to envision and enact personal growth.

Why Fairytales and Myths?

Fairytales and myths are rich sources of symbolic meaning, representing universal experiences such as love, loss, transformation, and triumph. These stories transcend cultural boundaries and age groups, making them ideal for group work with children, adolescents and adults of all ages. By enacting these narratives, participants can safely explore complex emotions, confront fears, and discover new strengths through:

• Universal Themes: Stories like Cinderella, The Hero’s Journey, or The Phoenix’s rebirth speak to common human experiences.

• Safe Distance: Using symbolic characters and settings allows participants to address personal issues indirectly, reducing anxiety or resistance.

• Creative Engagement: Embodying roles from stories encourages imaginative expression and enhances empathy.

• Spontaneity: Find new ways of handling challenging situations

Learn How To:

• Harness the therapeutic benefits of story enactment
• Choose the right story for the right time

• Develop effective storytelling skills

• Design warm ups to challenging roles and difficult stories

• Use vocal expression and movement to engage group members and facilitate active participation in story enactment.

• Develop and practice skills as a facilitator of enactments

• Use Psychodramatic and Sociodramatic techniques to expand enactment

• Facilitate safe expressive work and role training

• Use metaphor and symbolic storytelling create a safe psychological distance

• And much, much more…

Trainer

Rebecca Walters, MS, LMHC, LCAT, TEP is Director of the Hudson Valley Psychodrama Institute in New York which she founded 1989. She was the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychodrama Services at Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital, New York where she ran psychodrama groups on inpatient and outpatient child, adolescent and adult units. Rebecca is a Fellow of the ASGPP and was the recipient of their 2018 JL Moreno Award for lifetime achievement in the field. With over 40 years of experience, Rebecca is an internationally respected trainer in the use of psychodrama and sociodrama with children, adolescents, substance abusers, trauma survivors and in teaching communication skills.
Read more here.

Registration Information and Payment

Cost: $385 if registered by March 21st/ $440 after

Secure payment via PayPal

For more information and to register, please contact meghan@hvpi.net

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

1. Differentiate between psychodrama and sociodrama, including their respective goals, methods, and appropriate contexts for use.

2. Identify the therapeutic benefits of story enactment.

3. Identify and select age-appropriate stories taking into account developmental levels, group goals and individual needs.

4. Develop skills in using vocal expression and movement to engage group members and facilitate active participation in story enactment.

5. Develop and practice skills as a facilitator of enactments.

6. Facilitate Safe Expressive Work and Role Training.

7. Describe how metaphor and symbolic storytelling create a safe psychological distance supporting emotional regulation and keeping within the Window of Tolerance.

8. Describe the value of oral storytelling, including traditional tales and folklore, and distinguish these from written stories.

9. Explain the value of repetition in stories, especially for younger children or those with cognitive challenges, to foster predictability, reassurance, and mastery.

**12 Continuing Education Hours

NYS Social Workers: In collaboration with Jacob Gershoni, LCSW, SW, CPE.
NYS LCAT’s: In collaboration with Water & Stone, a Creative Arts Therapy PLLC.

NBCC (National Board of Certified Counselors): Hudson Valley Psychodrama, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP #6789.
Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Hudson Valley Psychodrama, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This course is approved for 12 CE’s.

**Many states accept NBCC and/or NYS Continuing Education for Mental Health professionals and Substance Abuse counsellors. Check with your state licensing board.

This workshop offers 12 training hours towards certification by the American board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy.

For more information regarding Continuing Education hours please contact us.

ENACTING TRANSFORMATION WITH FAIRYTALES AND MYTHS: Harnessing the Power of Story for Healing and Development in Groups Across the Life Span