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
Alternating locations
Oakland, Fremont & San Jose
We are inviting new professionals and facilitators for try-out sessions. Please contact us if you want more information.
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.
Kyoung Mi Choi
Kyoung Mi is a Professor at San José State University in the Counselor Education Department, and she has an extensive background in teaching counseling courses across four universities, including counseling theories, multicultural counseling, social and emotional learning, mindfulness, group counseling theories and techniques, and counseling internships. Over the past decade, she has been involved in Playback Theatre, mindfulness, Yoga, and various artistic and somatic healing approaches. Kyoung Mi has presented her work at international conferences alongside collaborators, focusing on identities, gender and sexuality, cross-cultural transitions, and intergenerational trauma and healing.