ABOUT

The Dark Is Not the End, It’s the Invitation.

At How to Play in the Dark, transformation doesn’t just come from merely facing hardship—it comes from meeting it with curiosity, creativity, and a playful sense of adventure.

Here, you don’t just think about shifting beliefs—you experience it. Through movement, expression, and co-creation, you step directly into the shift, embodying change in real-time.

Each group is emergent and shaped by the unique energy and expression of those involved.

No two journeys are the same, making every encounter a powerful catalyst for transformation. By witnessing and engaging in each other’s explorations, we strengthen our collective power to heal, create, and support one another.

Together, we step into the unknown with curiosity and courage, uncovering freedom, magic, and unexpected possibilities along the way. If it seems mysterious—that’s because it is!

This isn’t just about healing. It’s about reimagining what it means to live fully, authentically, and vibrantly by reclaiming every part of yourself—even the ones hidden in the shadows.

And yes, it’s FUN!!!

You’re an agent of change—or you want to be.

Maybe life cracked you open through illness, loss, heartbreak, or transition. Maybe you're still in the middle of the mess. Either way, something in you knows: transformation is possible. And you don’t have to do it alone.

You long for a community that gets it.

Not just surface-level support—but real, honest connection. People who can hold you through the unraveling and the becoming. Through the dark, the light, and everything in between.

You’ve felt the tension between ease and effort.

You believe life can be on purpose, that it doesn’t have to be so hard all the time. But old patterns still pull at you. And sometimes, you're not sure how to shift out of them—only that you’re ready to.

You believe life is supposed to be rich with pleasure, play, and possibility.

But sometimes, the seriousness creeps in. The weight gets heavy. The joy feels far away. You want to remember how to access it again—and feel safe doing it.

You want more ease, more freedom, more aliveness.

You want to trust that you don’t have to prove or push to receive what’s meant for you. Deep down, you know you're worthy of more.

You are creative. You are purposeful. You are becoming something more true.

You may not have it all figured out, but you’re willing to show up. Willing to be vulnerable. Willing to strip away what’s no longer real, and reconnect to what is.

Meet Danielle Rifkin LPC, ATR
Founder of How to Play in the Dark

I’ve always been drawn to the places most people avoid—grief, shadow, mystery, the sacred unknown. Not to dwell there, but to listen and learn. To let the dark speak. And what I’ve discovered over the past decade is this: the places we fear most often hold the keys to our liberation.

I’m a Somatic, Art & Play Therapist, a Grief Ritualist, and a space holder who believes that healing begins when we turn toward our struggle—and start to play with it. With a Master’s in Transpersonal Psychology and Art Therapy from Naropa University, I’ve spent the past decade creating spaces where people can reconnect with themselves and each other through creativity, emotion, and embodied presence. I’ve designed and facilitated hundreds of transformative experiences—from intimate grief rituals and expressive arts sessions to immersive group journeys, sacred circles, and 1:1 healing support.

Whether exploring shadow work through expression, gathering around shared loss, or sparking collective play, my work weaves depth, creativity, and safety into every container.

How to Play in the Dark was born out of a desire to create spaces where people don’t just talk about change—they feel it, embody it, and become it.
Where people can surrender without fear.
Where the deepest transformation doesn’t feel like a chore—but like coming home to something primal, tender, and true.

My values are rooted in radical presence, deep listening, co-creation, and embodied truth. I don’t believe in fixing. I believe in remembering—who you are, what you carry, and what becomes possible when you’re finally witnessed in your wholeness.