Dr. Ziva Bracha Gedron Explores Hope and Healing Through Psychodrama and Faith
Dr. Ziva Bracha Gedron, a psychotherapist and social psychologist, shared insights from her personal and professional journey in a conversation with Dr. Hana Katan. Gedron’s story begins in her childhood home in Acre, Israel, where her parents, Turkish immigrants, instilled foundational values that shaped her work today. Her mother’s heartfelt prayers and spiritual connection, combined with her father’s compassionate sensitivity toward marginalized individuals, deeply influenced her approach to therapy and human complexity.
Gedron’s early experiences included serving as a soldier-teacher and working with special needs children, which led her to study special education and later psychodrama. She views psychodrama as a bridge between her parents’ legacies: recognizing the whole person’s complexity while embracing playfulness and movement as therapeutic tools. She emphasizes that emotional shifts, such as moving from sadness to joy, are authentic expressions rather than performances.
Her professional path also included a year working with Jewish youth in Athens, followed by a return to Jerusalem and a personal spiritual renewal. Gedron’s research focuses on hope, particularly how transitions in consciousness, emotion, relationships, and physical space can reveal inner strengths and sparks of hope. She describes psychodrama as a method that honors pain without avoidance, allowing individuals to hold grief while also moving toward healing through varied expressive modes.
Since the October 7 attacks, Gedron notes a profound shift in therapeutic work, highlighting the collective nature of trauma and hope. She stresses the importance of group support and the inclusion of faith in therapy, encouraging patients to openly express pain and dialogue with God if they believe. Looking ahead, her Jerusalem Psychodrama Institute will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, continuing to integrate group guidance, psychodrama, performing arts, resilience, hope, and Jewish spiritual traditions into its programs.
