THE INNER STAGE

Escaping The Double Bind - CANCELED
2020-04-02 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
Do you ever feel damned if you do or damned if you don’t? According to Oxford dictionary, a double bind is defined as a situation in which a person is confronted with two irreconcilable demands or a choice between two undesirable courses of action. Double-binds may be emotionally distressing and can lead to shame or physical illness in children. However, learning how to break out of a double-bind can empower and motivate you. Please join us for our April open psychodrama workshop, Escaping The Double Bind. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.

Onsite Workshops Couple Intensive
2020-04-25 - 2020-04-26 | IL
Valerie leads a virtual couple intensive for Onsite Workshops in Cumberland Furnace, TN.
For more information visit Onsite.

Mother…My First Nurturer - CANCELED
2020-05-14 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
In time for Mother’s Day, we will discover what gets in the way of forgiving our mothers for past hurts. As a group, we will explore ways to come to terms with feelings of resentment from childhood, especially if we did not receive the care we needed. Please join us for our May open psychodrama workshop, Mother…My First Nurturer. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.

Psychodrama with Couples Training - Part I
2020-06-11 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | IL
Valerie will present an experiential workshop at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy Couple Therapy Training Program. The workshop will focus on psychodramatic technique of the warm-up and how to utilize them with couples.

Father…My First Protector - CANCELED
2020-06-11 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
In the spirit of Father’s Day, this workshop explores our primary relationship with our fathers, and how it sets us up for feelings of safety or insecurity in our lives. We will explore ways to re-parent any of our old wounds. Please join us for our June open psychodrama workshop, Father…My First Protector. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.

Psychodrama with Couples Training - Part II
2020-06-18 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | IL
Valerie will present an experiential workshop at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy Couple’s Therapy Training Program. The workshop will focus on psychodramatic techniques of doubling, role reversal and empty chair with couples.

Letting Go of The Inner Critic - CANCELED
2020-07-09 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | IL
The inner critic comes out in the everyday putdowns—the negative self-talk we use to discourage ourselves. Judgment is the subtlest form of negativity. If you compare yourself to others, you are not only judging the other person, but also yourself. How can we concentrate on bettering ourselves and our lives without judgment and negative self-talk? Please join us for our June open psychodrama workshop, Letting Go of The Inner Critic. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.
Please register via Eventbrite link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/letting-go-of-the-inner-critic-tickets-88404208367

Self-Care in Trying Times - Online Workshop
2020-08-13 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | Virtual Zoom Workshop, NY, United States
The benefits of focusing on self-care during trying times are powerful. Tuning into your body and taking the time to nourish it properly, is essential to restore or uphold well-being when extra strength during challenging times may be needed. Research suggests that the more we practice self-care, the more confident, creative, and productive we are. We also make better decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. Please join us for our August open psychodrama workshop, Self-Care in Trying Times. This workshop will be held virtually through Zoom. There is no previous psychodrama experience necessary.
Please register via the below Eventbrite link to secure a spot:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/self-care-in-trying-times-tickets-88404733939
If you have any questions, or would like assistance registering, please reach out to Rachel at rachel@theinnerstage.com.

Unresolved Grief
2020-10-08 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
Sometimes we don’t realize that we haven’t appropriately grieved a loss. It could be a death of a loved one, arelationship ending, leaving a job, or even saying goodbye to a phase of life. Please join us for our October psychodrama workshop, Unresolved Grief to explore recovery from loss in creative ways. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.
Please register via below Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unresolved-grief-tickets-88405203343

Gratitude in Tough Times - CANCELED
2020-11-12 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
Has your perspective of gratitude shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic? As we continue to navigate the pandemic, it may be particularly challenging to find things to be thankful for or to express gratitude. As Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season approach, the time comes again to reflect on what we are grateful for. Even though we are temporarily remote, this workshop will be fully experiential. We will explore and rediscover the meaning of gratitude during this trying year in creative ways. Please join us for our November open psychodrama workshop, From Resentment to Gratitude. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.

Please register via below Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-resentment-to-gratitude-tickets-88405458105

Resilience and Reflections
2020-12-10 18:30 - 21:00 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
Most of us are looking forward to saying goodbye to 2020. We have navigated a year of unprecedented challenges. Please join us for our December open psychodrama workshop, Reflections on the Year, which will afford us the space to both explore our strengths and coping strategies and grieve our losses as we look ahead to what we hope for in the upcoming year. No previous psychodrama experience is necessary.
Please register via below Eventbrite link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reflections-on-the-year-tickets-88405592507

Action Methods in the Treatment of Addiction - NASW Continuing Education for DC-37 Union members - Virtual
2021-02-03 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | IL
Valerie will present a virtual workshop for DC-37 NYC Health & Hospital Workers’ Union members in NYC about how to utilize psychodrama techniques in addiction counseling sessions.

Trauma Timeline Workshop - An Experiential Intake - Virtual Workshop
2021-02-25 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
Created by Tian Dayton, the trauma timeline is a paper and pencil exercise that we can share with clients to help them construct a detailed history of their painful life experiences. In this experiential workshop, we will learn the basic structure of the trauma timeline, plus ways to utilize action methods to help clients work through these life altering events. This workshop is also open to those who do not work in the mental health field who are interested in learning about the timeline. Please register via Eventbrite link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-trauma-timeline-an-experiential-intake-virtual-workshop-tickets-139668224419

Co-Creation & Connection in a Time of Disconnection - ASGPP Psychodrama Conference - Virtual
2021-04-11 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | IL
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the creation of psychodrama, Valerie will present a virtual workshop (on April 11th at 10am to 1pm) called Co-Creation and Connection in a Time of Disconnection. Decades ago, in his book Who Shall Survive, J.L. Moreno wrote about the dangers of society becoming filled with people not acting in their spontaneity and creativity. Today, many of us struggle to maintain authentic connections with others in the face of modern technology, the pandemic, and political discord. We often stare numbly at screens or vent our frustrations on social media instead of conversing with the people right in front of us. This workshop will help us explore what blocks us from interconnecting with others in our spontaneity and creativity.

Use the following link to sign up for this conference: https://asgpp.org/events/asgpp-annual-conference/

Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy - Family & Couples Treatment Services Program - Virtual
2021-05-20 11:00 - 13:00, 2021-05-27 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | IL
Valerie will present an experiential workshop utilizing experiential warm ups with couples, and utilizing spectrograms and locograms, the social atom and the trauma timeline.

Play Your Parts℠ - Virtual Workshop - Hosted by ISEP
2023-03-02 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York) | ISEP, TN, United States
The International Society of Experiential Practitioners is hosting Valerie for a virtual workshop as she unveils Play Your Parts℠, her hybrid approach combining IFS and psychodrama.

PLAY YOUR PARTS℠ TRAINING FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS - VIRTUAL
2023-04-14 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | The Inner Stage, Virtual-Zoom link will be provided, New York, NY, United States
JOIN US FOR THE VERY FIRST PLAY YOUR PARTS℠ TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR THERAPISTS, COUNSELORS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, COACHES, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS!
IN THIS HIGHLY EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOP, YOU WILL LEARN:

FUNDAMENTALS OF PSYCHODRAMA
BASICS OF IFS
HOW TO CREATE A SAFE CONTAINER WITH EXPERIENTIAL THERAPIES FOR CLIENTS AND GROUPS
TWO INTEGRATION TECHNIQUES TO APPLY TO YOUR PRACTICE THAT INTEGRATE THE HYBRID PLAY YOUR PARTS℠ METHOD
HOW TO TAP INTO SELF ENERGY AS A CLINICIAN

THIS TRAINING WILL OFFER THE PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE WITH A MONTHLY THERAPIST TRAINING GROUP IN THE PLAY YOUR PARTS℠ METHOD.
SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHODRAMA AND/OR IFS IS RECOMMENDED BUT NOT NECESSARY.
TIMES ARE EDT/NY TIME ZONE.
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
PLEASE CONTACT ANDREA WITH ANY TICKETING QUESTIONS HERE

Play Your Parts℠ Welcoming Personal Growth Workshop - Virtual
2023-04-20 18:30 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
In her experiential Play Your Parts℠ Welcoming Personal Growth Workshop, Valerie will create a courageous, interactive space for personal growth through the integration of Internal Family Systems and psychodrama techniques.
In this workshop you will learn and experience:

what parts are and how to “go inside” to learn about yours
what qualities of Self-energy are
parts mapping of your internal system
role-playing with parts

Please register on Eventbrite here
Please reach out to Andrea here with any questions.
Times are EDT/NY time zone.
This workshop is not a substitute for psychotherapy.

Play Your Parts℠ at Mainline Counseling & Wellness Center
2023-06-02 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual Zoom Workshop, NY, United States
Valerie will present an overview of the hybrid Play Your Parts℠ approach in this experiential workshop utilizing psychodrama and IFS.
Participants will:

learn fundamentals of IFS and psychodrama
learn one technique to tap into therapist Self energy
participate in an experiential exercise to “play a part” that you can use with clients

Sign up through Mainline Counseling & Wellness Center here

Deer Hollow Recovery Play Your Parts℠ Training
2023-10-19 - 2023-10-20 | Deer Hollow Recovery, 12608 S. 125 W, Draper, UT, 84020, United States
Valerie will train staff in the hybrid Play Your Parts℠ method at Deer Hollow Trauma Treatment Center.

2023 IFS Institute Conference
2023-10-28 | IL
Valerie will be presenting her Play Your Parts℠ workshop at the 40th annual IFS Conference in Denver CO.

Onsite Workshops and Release Recovery Play Your Parts℠ Training
2023-11-17 | Release Recovery, 3020 Westchester Ave - 4th Floor, Purchase, NY, 10577, United States
Valerie will train Release Recovery staff and guests in her hybrid Play Your Parts℠ method at Release Recovery in Purchase, NY.
To register:
https://app.ce-go.com/onsite-one-day-training-in-purchase-ny

Play Your Parts™ Workshop - IFS NY/NJ Metro Group
2024-05-17 11:30 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Balance Arts Center, 151 W. 30th St., New York, NY, 10001, United States
Valerie will present her introductory Play Your Parts™ training workshop for IFS therapists and IFS practitioners.
Attendees must have basic knowledge of Internal Family Systems. Level I training is recommended.
Participants will learn fundamentals of psychodrama and ways to blend this modality with IFS. This workshop is highly experiential.
Please email Karen Berman here for registration information.

Befriending Your Anxious Parts in Action - ASGPP Conference
2025-04-02 | IL
Valerie will present a half-day training workshop, Befriending Your Anxious Parts in Action, at the 83rd annual American Society for Psychodrama & Group Psychotherapy Conference in Albuquerque, NM. Life is becoming increasingly stressful for all of us. This workshop will focus on getting to know and even befriending our anxious parts that often cause us distress and shame. Participants will learn, through an Internal Family Systems framework, how to increase curiosity and compassion for their anxious parts by externalizing them using psychodrama techniques.
Learning Objectives:
– Identify basic principles of Internal Family Systems, including the concepts of Self and parts, and ways to externalize them with psychodrama.
– Distinguish between parts that carry anxiety and those that are polarized with them. Participants will receive at least
two tools to help them unblend with their own anxious parts, and those of their clients.

Rooted in Resilience - Onsite Workshops NYC Alumni Event at The Inner Stage
2025-05-14 17:15 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | The Inner Stage, Virtual, NY, United States
Calling all NY/NJ/CT Onsite alumni! Valerie will be facilitating an experiential workshop designed to help you reconnect with the Onsite experience. Join fellow Onsite alumni at the first NYC area alumni event since 2020.
You’ve done the work. You’ve experienced the transformation. But in the busyness of life, it’s easy to drift from the tools and insights that once felt so clear.
That’s why we’re bringing Onsite to you!
Join us for an immersive evening event led by an experienced facilitator, designed to help you reground, regulate, and build resilience. Through guided experiential exercises, you’ll reconnect with the foundational tools from your time at Onsite while also gaining new insights and practical strategies to support your continued growth. This experience will help you integrate what you’ve learned in deeper, more meaningful ways.
This event is open to all alumni of Onsite Workshops, Intensives, Milestones, and the Onsite Wellness House.
Onsite Alumni Register here
Valerie has been an experiential therapist for almost 30 years and became a group leader at Onsite in 2012. She has run their NY area alumni groups since 2015.

Befriending Your Anxious Parts in Action - IFS Conference
2025-09-21 10:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Q Center, 1405 North Fifth Avenue, St. Charles, IL, 60174, United States
Valerie will present a workshop entitled Befriending Your Anxious Parts in Action at the 2025 IFS Conference in St. Charles, IL.
We are living in polarized times and many of us feel blended with our anxious parts more than ever. In this highly experiential workshop, IFS practitioners will be introduced to the fundamentals of psychodrama, and how to integrate it with the IFS model. Participants will learn the Play Your Parts℠ method, which uses psychodramatic techniques to externalize parts.
The workshop will focus on befriending our anxious parts by identifying and working with polarizations that may block the unblending process. A full demonstration of a Self-led psychodrama will be offered, in which a participant can externalize and unblend from anxious parts and those polarized with them.

Play Your Parts® at Inner World Collective
2026-02-13 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | IL
Valerie will be presenting an affordable two-hour virtual workshop on her Play Your Parts® method combining IFS and psychodrama for Inner World Collective.
Register here:
https://innerworldcollective.circle.so/c/guest-speaker-series-420023/guest-speaker-valerie-simon-psycho-drama-and-ifs-play-your-parts-64c9a960-fe88-44c6-b10d-b62dcea83d3d
