Dr Magdalene Jeyarathnam

Magdalene Jeyarathnam, is the Founder and Director of East West Center for Counselling and Training (P)
Ltd., Chennai, India.

Magdalene Jeyarathnam, has worked almost 25 years as a Counsellor, Counselling Supervisor, Expressive
Arts therapist and is a board certified Psychodramatist. She is a board member of the International
association of Group Psychotherapy and Group process. She has worked as consultant to several
governments as WHO and UNICEF consultant. Magdalene Jeyarathnam is the first psychodramatist to be
trained in India. She use psychodrama to work with individuals, couples and groups. Magdalene is the
founder of Indian Institute of Psychodrama which is the first psychodrama training institute in India.
She uses psychodrama to work with several marginalised communities like sexworkers, children infected
and affected by HIV, people living with HIV, LGBTQI+ community to promote positive mental health, She has over 30 years experience as a Group Psychotherapist. She has recently been awarded Neil Passariello memorial award for her work in Psychodrama by the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP). Her dissertation was on treating depression and anxiety using Psychodrama and other creative arts in a group therapy setting.

Dr. Eric Miller 

Dr. Eric Miller is a psychologist, storyteller, and expressive arts practitioner based in Chennai. He is
the Director of the World Storytelling Institute and serves as Assistant Director at the East West Center for Counselling and Training. He holds a PhD in Folklore from the University of Pennsylvania and has trained in psychology at the University of Madras. His work focuses on Storytelling Therapy, where he uses narrative, performance, and expressive arts to support emotional healing, self-awareness, and personal growth across diverse groups.

Ms. Katia Verreault (Amsterdam)

Group facilitator, Dance movement therapist, Dance instructor and Founder of A Moving World- We dance Katia is dance movement therapist, special needs teacher trainer, group facilitator and dance instructor with extensive work experience in multi-cultural environments and community settings in the field of specialized education, trans cultural psychiatry, trauma, resilience-building and dance movement
therapy.

Marcia Karp

Marcia Karp, M.A. TEP is Fellow of American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP)
Lifetime Achievement Awards ASGPP and British Psychodrama Association (BPA); Past Honorary President BPA, Member of UK Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP); Honorary and Founding member Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organizations (FEPTO); Distinguished Fellow, Past Board of International Association of Group Psychotherapy (IAGP; Co-Editor Handbook of Psychodrama; Psychodrama Since Moreno; and Psychodrama: Inspiration and Technique; International Trainer Supervisor; online private practice.

Dr. Jorge Burmeister

Dr. Jorge Burmeister, Psychotherapist and Psychiatrist, of Spain and Switzerland. Jorge is trained in
Psychodrama, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Analytical-Pair Therapy, Family Therapy, Guided Day-Dream Technique, and Jungian Analysis. He is the founding member, FEPTO (Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organisations, www.fepto.com ).He is the Past President of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes. He is dean, International Summer Academy for Trans-cultural Group Work (Granada, Spain).

Eva Fahlström-Borg

Eva Fahlström Borg is a senior licensed Swedish psychotherapist, supervisor and trainer of
psychotherapy. She is also a teacher and trainer of psychodrama, Sociodrama, bibliodrama, playback
theatre and theater without manuscript.She is a trained Lacanian psychotherapist but works more
ecclectic. She trains Restorative Justice and Social Transformations. Eva Fahlstrom Borg has been
working with groups for more than 50 years, She is presently Board Member of IAGP and is the Chair of
Trauma and Disaster Intervention Team.She has been awarded “Life Time Achievement” by FEPTO (Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organisations), Her motto: Don’t ask for permission to change the world”!

Dr Manuela Maciel

Manuela Maciel (Portugal) is a Clinical and Social Psychologist, and Psychodrama Director for 32 years.
She is experienced individual, group and educational therapist. She was the Chairperson of the
Psychodrama Section of the IAGP -International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (2003-2009). Member of the board, supervisor and teacher in the Portuguese Psychodrama Society (SPP). Manuela was trained in Psychogenealogy by Anne Schützenberger and has additional training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and EMDR. She was Founder and Consultant of International Sociodrama Conference (2007-2020) and Founder of International Transgenerational Conference (2007).. She wrote and edited books and articles in Psychodrama, Sociodrama and Transgenerational Therapy.

Dr. Daniela Simmons

Dr. Daniela Simmons’ professional experience, both in Europe and the US, is in educational, research,
and consultancy work in the social sciences and mental health. Her background includes training and
certification at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in London. She is the President of the
American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama (ASGPP); and an executive editor of the American Journal in Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy. Daniela Simmons offers experiential, didactic and online training modules on action methods (Psychodrama, Sociodrama, Sociometry, Theatre of the Oppressed, Playback Theatre, etc.) in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, TX; other states and internationally.

Purvaa Sampath

She is a Board-certified Music Therapist (MT-BC, NMT), Founder and Director of Mayahs’ Universe, and a
graduate of Berklee College of Music. She has completed her Master’s in Music Therapy from Colorado State University and is among the few CBMT-certified music therapists in the country. Based in Bangalore, she works as a consulting music therapist with organizations such as FAME India and Cadabams Hospitals, supporting individuals with neuro developmental and mental health needs through specialized therapeutic interventions.

Mishti Verma

She is an experiential corporate trainer and founder of Inner Katha Interventions and co-founder of Clap
(a center for creative learning arts and performance). She is also a playwright and experienced theatre
director. Using a combination of expressive art therapy, healing stories, applied theatre, and classroom
training, she has conducted Inner Katha programs on team cohesiveness and behavioral aspects with
leading multinationals pan India. Mishti has worked extensively on gender sensitization, inclusion, and
strengthening self identity with varied population including children. Her work has been featured in I
diva, Mid-day, Hindustan Times, Asian Age, Human Capital, Radio One, NDTV, and international features
such as Cake & Whiskey et al.

Dr. Charithira Ballal

Executive Board Member, The Art Therapy Association of India. Specialist in integrating art into
psychological practice. She is a psychologist with 16 years of experience, known for her diverse and
holistic approach to mental health. She previously led the psychology department at Manipal Hospital,
where she promoted integrating mental health into overall healthcare. After a personal recovery phase,
she moved her practice fully online. Her work combines art psychotherapy, trained at Goldsmiths University of London, along with intergenerational trauma and sound therapy. She also leads outreach at TATAI and conducts workshops, offering a meaningful, non-traditional, and impactful therapeutic experience.