Ongoing Trainings in
Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy
Boughton Place, Highland, NY, home of the original Moreno Psychodrama Stage.
Core Trainings and Directing Cohorts offer an intensive training experience for professionals and students in the fields of mental health, substance abuse and recovery, creative arts therapies, religion, law, human services, personnel management, nursing and medicine, group facilitation and education. These year-long formats create communities of learners committed to personal and professional growth. They provide safe places in which to develop spontaneity as a director, auxiliary, protagonist and group member.
CORE TRAINING IN PSYCHODRAMA, SOCIOMETRY AND GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY
During Core Training participants develop their skills as auxiliary and director through practicing psychodramatic techniques, skills and interventions and by directing vignettes and short psychodramas. Advanced trainees may have the chance to direct full two-hour psychodramas. There are opportunities for group members to personally experience the deep, healing power of the method in the role of protagonist.
Core Training also offers special topics such as the use of psychodrama in individual therapy, action methods with children and adolescents, playback theater, anger and fear, spontaneity training, working with resistance, sociodrama, working people in recovery, the use of the body and working with trauma which are offered on a rotating basis over several years. Each year three days or more are devoted to the use of sociometry.
Core Training is an ongoing program open to students at all levels of experience. Core members commit for one year at a time but often choose to continue. Space is limited and is based each year on how many past students choose to return. Pre-requisite: 70 hours of previous psychodrama training, including at least one HVPI Intensive and/or permission of faculty.
PLEASE NOTE: Core 1 and 2 offer the same multi-year curriculum. The only difference is the schedule: Core 1 offers that curriculum in six three-day sessions while Core 2 offers that same curriculum in three six-day sessions.
PRE REQUISITE: 70 HOURS OF PREVIOUS PSYCHODRAMA TRAINING (A.B.E. APPROVED)
INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE HVPI PSYCHODRAMA INTENSIVE AND/OR PERMISSION OF FACULTY
DIRECTING COHORTS
Directing Cohorts are comprised of participants who have attended past HVPI Directing Intensives. The Cohorts offer advanced students and certified psychodramatists opportunities to explore the many functions of the role of psychodrama director including the producer, the social investigator, the group facilitator, the analyst/guide, the conflict manager, the sociometrist and more in a group of supportive peers. Each participant gets to direct a two hour psychodrama. Each participant has the opportunity to be a protagonist. Cohorts meet for five days, three times over the course of twelve to eighteen months.
PRE REQUISITE: ATTENDANCE AT AN HVPI DIRECTING INTENSIVE
Core 1: 2026-27
Judy Swallow MA LCAT TEP and
Jennifer Salimbene, LCSW-R, CASAC, CP, TEP
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Oct 16-18, 2026
Nov 13-15, 2026
Dec 11-13, 2026
Feb 5-7, 2027
March 12-13, 2027
April 16-18, 2027
Core 2: 2026
with Rebecca Walters, MS, LMHC, LCAT, TEP
Deb Shaddy, MS, LMHP, LCPC, TEP
March 5-10 (Thursday-Tuesday)
May 28- June 2 (Thursday-Tuesday)
November 4-9 ( Wednesday-Monday)
Directing Cohort 1: 2026-27
Rebecca Walters, MS, LMHC, LCAT, TEP
Feb 2-9, 2026 (Mon- Mon)
Sept 24-29, 2026 (Thurs- Tues)
Jan 23-31, 2027 in Costa Rica (Sat- Sun)
Directing Cohort 2: 2025-26
Rebecca Walters, MS, LMHC, LCAT, TEP
July 23-28, 2025 (Wed- Mon)
Jan 6-11, 2026 (Tues- Sun)
Sept 13-18, 2026 (Thurs- Sun)