Zerka T. Moreno

Zerka Toeman Moreno (June 13, 1917 – September 19, 2016) was a Dutch-born American psychotherapist and co-founder of psychodrama. She was the closest colleague and the wife of Jacob Levy Moreno.

Zerka Toeman Moreno was born in Amsterdam on June 13, 1917, and later in 1932 Moreno moved to London. In 1941 she was able to move her elder sister from Belgium to New York, to pursue treatment for her sister's mental illness.

Moreno was one of the co-founders of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy.

Moreno’s contribution to the field of group psychotherapy and psychodrama began immediately upon meeting Dr. J. L. Moreno. Within a year of their meeting J.L. and Moreno founded the Sociometric Institute on Park Avenue, New York City. They established the Psychodramatic Institute in New York in 1942. They began producing the journal Group Psychotherapy (originally called Sociatry) in 1947, publishing a volume of research documenting their application and refinement to the social sciences of sociatry, psychodrama, and sociometry. Moreno was J. L. Moreno’s partner and co-creator for over thirty years until his death in 1974.

Moreno continued training and teaching the psychodramatic theory and method for more than 30 years since Dr. Moreno’s death, training psychodramatists worldwide. Moreno is recognized as a leader in further realizing Dr. Moreno’s vision in bringing this method to the lives of communities worldwide. In the 2000s she lived in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Moreno died in Rockville, Maryland on September 19, 2016 at the age of 99.

This foundation, now in the first phase of its development, is dedicated to the teachings of Zerka T. Moreno, co-founder of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy. The foundation's work is dedicated to making these instruments available in collaboration with other psychodramatists, other practitioners of other disciplines, and those interested in benefiting the human condition.

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