Jacob L. Moreno

Jacob Levy Moreno (born Iacob Levy; May 18, 1889 – May 14, 1974) was a Romanian-American psychiatrist, psychosociologist, and educator, the founder of psychodrama, and the foremost pioneer of group psychotherapy. During his lifetime, he was recognized as one of the leading social scientists.

Early life and education

Moreno was born in Bucharest in the Kingdom of Romania. His father was Moreno Nissim Levy, a Sephardi Jewish merchant born in 1856 in Plevna in the Ottoman Empire (now Pleven, Bulgaria). His mother was Paulina Iancu or Wolf, a Romanian Jewish woman from Bucharest, born in 1865. Moreno emigrated to the United States in 1925.

Career

Moreno developed a form of therapy known as Psychodrama, which uses spontaneous dramatization, role playing, and dramatic self-presentation to investigate and gain insight into their lives. He is also the founder of the methods of Sociometry and Sociodrama, and a pioneer in the field of Group Psychotherapy.

Death and legacy

Moreno died in New York City in 1974. His work has been widely influential in fields as diverse as psychology, sociology, social work, and theater.

See also

• Psychodrama
• Sociometry
• Sociodrama
• Group Psychotherapy

External links

• American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama
• British Psychodrama Association

• Jacob L. Moreno with bust
  Jacob L. Moreno with bust
• Jacob L. Moreno in Pleven
  Jacob L. Moreno in Pleven
• Jacob L. Moreno's resting place
  Jacob L. Moreno's resting place