About the founder of Vermont Psychodrama

Hi, I am Sue

I am excited to share with you my love for psychodrama and the legacy of JL Moreno! 

I am  a Certified Practitioner (CP) through the American Board of Examiners in Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy. My psychodrama journey began in 1999 at Southwestern College, a consciousness-centered graduate school in Santa Fe, NM, where I was first introduced to the method by Kate Cook, TEP.

From my very first experience, I sensed something deep and indescribable occurring. While I could not articulate it then, I have since come to understand it as a depth psychological process.

To me, there is a riveting, initiatory moment in psychodrama when a person realizes the method truly transcends time and space.

In 2013, I moved to Vermont, where I continued to offer and study psychodrama under the mentorship of Dr. Herb Propper, TEP. Driven to explore the profound, numinous moments I witnessed in the field, I completed a PhD in Depth Psychology with an emphasis in Jungian and Archetypal Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute. My research culminated in my dissertation, The Stage and the Stone: Psychodrama, Alchemy, and Jung, which explored psychodrama and Jungian psychology through an alchemical lens.

In 2018, I was walking to a university library to finalize edits on my dissertation when a campus bus struck me in a crosswalk. The front tire crushed my foot, dragging me underneath. I frantically pounded the side of the bus, screaming for the driver to stop—unaware until later that the back tire had narrowly missed my head. After multiple surgeries failed to save my foot, my left leg was amputated below the knee. 

When I reflect on my ability to remain lucid during the accident and later adapt to life as an amputee, I am grateful for my training in psychodrama, which is rooted in spontaneity and role theory. Spontaneity theory posits that spontaneity enables individuals to respond adequately to new situations and creatively to recurring ones. True creativity is born out of these spontaneous moments, reminding us that we are co-creators with the "all-that-is."  This training directly empowered me to step into the unfamiliar, challenging role of an amputee. In psychodrama, psychological well-being expands with the number of roles we can access; distress occurs when we become stuck in a single role.

Bright orange rock formations with snow patches, distant hills, and a clear blue sky in a desert landscape.

My Story

A rocky canyon with a small waterfall flowing down the rocks into a pool of water below. The canyon walls are steep with sparse vegetation, and trees are visible on the upper ledges. The scene appears to be late afternoon with warm sunlight illuminating the cliff faces.

I have a private psychotherapy practice in South Burlington, VT and have been a licensed psychotherapist since 2002 most recently specializing in body-centered trauma therapy.  Motivated by my own experience, I founded Vermont Psychodrama to share the transformative impact of this work.

My personal journey led me to my career in counseling and certification in psychodrama. Psychodrama in particular has allowed me to release, compost, and integrate the generational traumas, beliefs, and patterns that lived within my cells and bones.

When I am not working I enjoy writing and learning and time spent with my family or in nature or with my pets or in spiritual community; there are many activities that bring me joy. I love staying active and engaging meaningfully with the people around me.

If your curiosity is sparked and you wish to learn more about how Psychodrama could support you click below.
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