Theater of Healing
An exploration of theater and embodied practices as a catalyst for change
Are you passionate about using theater or other embodied practices as a tool for personal healing and/or social change? Join us for an inspiring gathering that brings together enthusiasts and practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed, Psychodrama, arts and creativity, mindfulness, and somatic interventions.
This gathering is for anyone currently facilitating and actively using embodied methods for personal and professional growth, healing, and driving social change. Our goal is to foster a vibrant community where we can collaborate, grow, skill-share, and support each other.
We are facilitators and professionals passionate about sharing our healing journeys and looking to collaborate and empower with others through the transformative art of embodied practices and theatrical techniques.
Join us in this exploration of how theater and other embodied practices can be a catalyst for individual and societal changes!
What to Expect:
Introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed (TO): Interactive activities and exercises.
Shared learning: Exchange ideas, experiences, and stories. Discuss applications of our practices for individual and social change.
Community connection: Meet and connect with others passionate about creative practices, healing and social change.
Inclusive atmosphere: Whether you're new to TO or have been practicing for years, you'll find a welcoming community eager to learn and grow together.
ONGOING SESSIONS
In-Person Meetings
11:00 am - 3:00 pm (4 hours) | Last Saturday, Each Month
Online Meetings
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Second Friday, Each Month
Locations
Oakland, Fremont & San Jose
"Breaking the Gender Binary: Promoting Inclusive and Pro-Social Change "
"Transformation in the Land of Enchantment with Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy"
April 1-6, 2025
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
FACILITATORS
Teresa Veramendi
Teresa Veramendi is a multidisciplinary theater artist, performer, community facilitator, award-winning playwright, and educator who utilizes the arts as a tool to interrupt social inequities and rehumanize the other. Her expertise lies in her dedication to devised and experimental theater, body-mind awareness practices, and the internationally popular social theater practice, Theatre of the Oppressed. Since co-founding Theatre of the Oppressed Chicago in 2012, Veramendi has facilitated over one hundred and fifty Theatre of the Oppressed workshops on diverse topics such as class, gender, race, immigration, public education, intersectionality, internalized oppression, electoral politics, and career transitions, in various settings and cities around the country and internationally.
Amna Jaffer
Amna Jaffer is a certified Trainer, Educator, and Practitioner of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy utilizing this methodology extensively in education, training, and professional development. Amna is a senior lecturer at San José State University in the Counselor Education Department and adjunct faculty at California Institute of Integral Studies. Amna served as co-chair for the 2024 Annual Conference of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama and is on the Executive Council. Amna's interests lie in working with vulnerable and marginalized populations to build health, resilience, and empowerment to strive for social justice.
Vickie Chang
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Vickie Chang was born and raised in the SF Bay Area on unceded Ohlone territory. She sees liberation as rooted in connection— the capacity to live with 心 胸 寬 大 (xīn xiōng kuān dà), with a vast heart that includes honoring our human and nonhuman family, known and unknown. Trained at UCLA and Stanford University, her work as a psychologist, facilitator, and writer is guided by Chinese ancestral wisdom including Buddhism and Taoism; Indigenous teachings including the work of Dr. Vanessa Machado de Oliveira Andreotti; and 大 地 母 親 (the Great Earth Mother). She has worked as a clinical psychologist for nearly 20 years and specializes in supporting API, immigrant, and activist communities. She loves supporting organizations as a group facilitator and consultant. She is a member of Sacred Roots, a BIPOC womxn healing collective based in Oakland.
Kyoung Mi Choi
Choi’s passion lies in global education and the narratives of transnational identities, including global nomads, third culture kids (TCKs), and cross-cultural individuals. She advocates for mental health and the well-being of AANHPI individuals, women, girls, youth, and LGBTQI+ rights.
With a Ph.D. in counselor education and master's degrees in international relations and counseling, her academic journey reflects her enthusiasm for internationalization in education and her commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in mental health support. For over fifteen years, Choi has had the privilege of teaching counseling and mental health to master's level students at four different universities. Currently, she serves as a program specialist with the AANHPI' Ohana Center of Excellence, funded by SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), which provides training and resources to facilitators, assisting local mental health providers and community organizations that work closely with Asian and Asian American communities in better serving their needs.