Psychodramatic Approaches to Self-Regulation and Exploration
Program Description:
This microcourse is part of a 3-course microcredential, the Hope Leadership Program.
Have you ever wished you could step outside yourself to gain clarity on your thoughts, emotions, or relationships?
In this dynamic session, you’ll be introduced to psychodrama—a powerful, experiential method that uses guided role-play and theatrical techniques to explore personal and interpersonal challenges. Rooted in the work of J.L. Moreno, psychodrama offers a creative and embodied path to emotional insight, self-regulation, and healing.
You’ll learn to:
- Understand the core structure of psychodrama, including roles like protagonist, director, and auxiliary, and how these elements work together on the "stage."
- Apply key techniques such as role reversal, doubling, the empty chair, and more.
- Navigate the three essential phases of a psychodramatic session: warm-up, action, and sharing.
- Use role-play to uncover inner conflicts, strengthen relationships, and envision new future possibilities.
- Adapt these techniques for clinical, educational, or group settings to foster spontaneity, creativity, and authentic self-expression.
Whether you’re a mental health professional, educator, coach, or simply curious about experiential healing, this session will offer practical tools you can begin using right away.
Curious how role-play can lead to real transformation? Join us and experience the power of psychodrama from the inside out.
Dates & Registration
Dates: January 17 - 18, 2026
Times: 9:00am - 5:30pm
Format: In-person
Location: Teachers College, Columbia University
Price: $695
This microcourse is part of the 3-course Hope Leadership Microcredential. To learn more about the full microcredential or the individual microcourses, please click on the links below:
| Microcredential | The Hope Leadership Program | November 1, 2025 - April 19, 2026 |
| Microcourse 1 | Positive Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Role-playing | November 1 - 2, 2025 |
| Microcourse 2 | Psychodramatic Approaches to Self-Regulation and Exploration | January 17 - 18, 2026 |
| Microcourse 3 | Fostering Hope and Spiritual Development | April 18 - 19, 2026 |
Please Note: This course (microcourse 2) is offered on a non-credit basis or for 1 credit. Registration for this course through TC Academy is for the non-credit offering and Academic Credits will not be awarded. For instructions on how to register for the credit offering see below.
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
This course can be taken for credit in accordance with TC's enrollment policies. If you are not a current student and would like to take this course for credit, please review the Non-Degree Application Instructions page on our website and proceed accordingly. Also, please note that if you plan to take this on a for-credit basis, college tuition and fees will apply. If you are a continuing student in a degree program and have approval from your advisor, you can register for this course beginning on December 1st. Winter session courses will follow spring registration and payment deadlines.
Faculty
Dr. Dan Tomasulo
Academic Director— Spirituality Mind Body Institute Coordinator / Core Faculty SMB MA program
Dan Tomasulo, Ph.D., TEP, MFA, MAPP is a licensed psychologist, speaker, author of several books on positive psychology and mental health, and the Academic Director and core faculty at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University. He speaks about alleviating depression with positive psychology and hope worldwide and is a board-certified Teacher, Educator, and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy.Dr. Tomasulo holds a PhD in psychology, an MFA in writing, and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Review Editor for Frontiers in Psychology special section, Positive Psychology, and the Journal of Positive Psychology.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Define hope within positive psychology, distinguishing it from optimism and faith.
- Understand the Gallup framework of followers' needs (hope, trust, compassion, stability) and hope's role as a primary need.
- Learn and apply Hope Breath, a modified Tonglen meditation for emotional self-regulation and hope cultivation.
- Utilize Future Best Self (FBS) visualization and writing as an intervention to foster hope and future orientation.
- Explore the synergistic relationship between spirituality and character strengths for enhancing well-being and achieving wholeness.
- Identify and integrate spiritual practices with character strength interventions (e.g., strengths-spotting, spiritual role models) to deepen personal and collective peace.
- Use transformational techniques from various spiritual practices to upregulate positive emotions while downregulating negative.
Who Should Attend
Counselors, educators, coaches, spiritual leaders, and anyone passionate about empowering human potential through an integrated mind-body-spirit approach.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this program will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios. View our sample program badge and certificate below.
In addition, NYS certified Psychologists and Mental Health Counselors will be eligible to receive NYSED CEUs for Psychology or Mental Health Counseling upon successful completion of this program.
Important Notice: This is a non-credit program. Completion does not provide academic credit toward any degree program at Teachers College or other institutions. No transcript credit will be awarded.