Zerka T. Moreno

Zerka Toeman Moreno (born June 13, 1917, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch American psychotherapist and co-founder of psychodrama. She was the closest colleague and the wife of Jacob Levy Moreno. In 1932 she moved from Amsterdam 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.

Zerka T. Moreno is one of the co-founders of the International Association for Group Psychotherapy.

Zerka T. 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 Zerka 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. Zerka Moreno was J. L. Moreno’s partner and co-creator for over thirty years until his death in 1974. Zerka has continued training and teaching the psychodramatic theory and method for more than 30 years since Dr. Moreno’s death, training psychodramatists worldwide. Zerka Moreno is recognized as a leader in further realizing Dr. Moreno’s vision in bringing this method to the lives of communities worldwide. Zerka now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The Zerka T. Moreno Foundation for Education and Training

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.