Module 2 - 'Empowerment'.
This module also was about exercises over theory.
How to empower ourselves or someone depends on people involved, we have to develop our own methods for each case. There are plenty of these.
Proper communication is important in that, words have power to heal or destroy.
Understanding oneself is a strength, understanding others as well.
Protecting our secrets & weaknessess, as well as releasing difficult emotions in a safe situations can be empowering as well.
In our lives & therapisits employment we'll face different people - some nice, some rude, some aggressive. Wisely choosing our roles (when possible) & masks might prove protection & an invaluable tools, teaching others to choose these can help them as well.
1. Favourite Role.
In life we are put in different roles.
During exercise everyone chose a group in which he or she finds himself or herself most comfortable - among 'leaders', 'supporters' & 'outsiders'.
We talked within our groups about strong & weak points of our roles.
Then we acted out, theatrically expressing these strong & weak points.
Then we talked about these strong/weak points, scenes, roles & common points.
2. Empowerment by Expression.
We sang uplifting texts, combined with proper gestures that added power to this expression.
Texts included:
- 'With open helmet visor, i go to the battle!',
- 'i know my value, and i am proud of it!'.
We learned that sounds of songs are liberating spirit, gestures strenghten, words we speak create us.
Then we talked about feelings & thoughts about this exercise.
We learned that shouting out feelings allows to get rid of emotional garbage, and during psychotherapy there are other methods for that as well - for example by asking someone to throw a pillow or to kick a chair.
We learned that we have blockades that make these exercises difficult, but there are methods to overcome these.
3. Masks.
In a center of room there were various face masks.
Each of us chose two of the masks, one representing mask we wear everyday, and one representing mask we wear in difficult situations.
Then we explained our choices between whole group.
We learned that talking about masks is emotionally difficult, it's in a way 'demasking ourselves' - revealing our secrets & weaknessess.
We learned that mask can be fitting well or cumbersome, there might be need to replace one's mask with other type of a mask.
We learned that masks obscure what's inside, can make feelings accumulate in psyche. Succesfully removing a mask can be liberating, but difficult endeavour.
We learned that masks can be worn subconsciously or with deliberation. Well fitting mask might protect us, might be a 'dynamic truth' that transforms us - mask becomes part of personality.
In our lives masks might be very useful tool for fitting in our social roles (work, parenthood, ...).
4. Emotions of discovery & revealing.
'Leaders' from exercise 1st were randomly assigned groups in which we talked about feelings & thoughts associated with exercise 3rd.
Group leaders related our written reports to everyone, we had opportunity to talk about our findings as well.
5. Orchestra.
Shy volunteers assumed roles of orchestra's leaders, conductors.
Each of conductors in turns gave tasks to each of course's participants (making sounds as howls, talking, hand clapping, stomping, etc ...), then directed 'concerto' by properly gesturing to make chosen people or groups to increase or decrease volume, change tempo, or to silence everyone.
Then we split into groups randomly, each participant was assigned to a conductor. We talked in groups about this exercise, then conductors related group's opinions in one phrase before whole of course's participants.
6. Drawing by Descriptions.
We were paired randomly with other course's participants, each of us randomly chose one of beautiful images provided by course's staff.
In pairs, one of participants described, spoke about image without showing it to other. The other painted or drew it on a piece of paper - asking questions, getting answers as needed. Then we changed roles.
Then we talked about exercise.
We learned that communication has this property, that we skip 'obvious elements' from our descriptions - but what is obvious to one, doesn't have to be obvious to other.
We learned that during communication it's important to name ideas, to listen, to ask questions.
7. Getting into someone's shoes.
We were paired randomly with other course's participants, then one of us followed other for 10 minutes, mimicking every move. After 10 minutes, roles changed - other followed one who led before.
Then we talked about exercise before whole group.
We learned that when we get in someone's shoes, distance is very useful.
We learned that leading partner should be responsible & take into account follower's limitations & needs - but not everyone does that.
We learned that there's difference between empathy & identification.
We learned that kids learn by mimicking parents; we learned that one who is authority, a model - should be responsible, be careful of what he or she is doing.
We understood that distance is useful for getting whole picture - as in Impressionist Art, where from close distance one can see only colorful dots, but at distance whole image can be seen.
8. Deaf Phone.
Randomly selected course's participant (student) got quietly instructions from course's staff, about message to convey. He whispered to his neighbour (we sat in a circle in our room, chairs were placed that way). Message was passed by whispering into neighbours' ear, from a person to person - until whole circle was completed. Then last person spoke message aloud.
Final message was very different from original, yet it contained one word from original message.
We learned that the shorter message, the easier it is to remember.
We learned that longer messages are easily malformed.
We learned that we perceive, hear and understand through 'prism of ourselves'; when we have something we don't understand, or fail to hear, when there's something missing - we add our own personal content.
9. Empowering Letter.
We were paired randomly with other course's participants, then wrote a letter to our partner - something empowering, something that could let someone be stronger, feel nice, feel reassured.
Then we gave letters to whom they were wrote, and read these before whole group.
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