We had another great week here at Common Art and Boston Warm! Last Wednesday, we had our first session of the 8-week caretaker group, which I am leading. For anyone who might have missed the musings in which I explained the caretaker group, here’s a recap: This group is for members who often put aside their own needs to help a family member, a friend, or a partner to an extent that may be harmful to themselves. Over the course of 8 weeks, we will do art activities that promote identity exploration, model self-care techniques, explore and define healthy boundaries, and develop self-regulatory tools. Above all, it’s a time for members to learn about their needs and explore more about who they are as an individual. By learning that prioritizing their own needs is not wrong, they may help them care for others in a more sustainable way. Continue reading
Tag Archives: group dynamics
Give and Take of Creativity
Last Wednesday I was able to return to common art with a lot more energy after a week’s break. It reminded me how important self-care is when it comes to being able to care for others. That day we began working with clay in order to make beads for jewelry. Each week we normally have volunteers who lead beading up on the stage in our space. They will be away, however, for a few months. In their absence we are working to provide other activities for the community, especially for those who would normally engage in the beading. Continue reading
Goodbyes
In my group-therapy class, we just started to talk about dealing with the ending phase of a group, when the individuals that comprise a particular group inevitably shift or disperse. The groups that I am part of through Emmanuel will continue on without me when I leave this internship, but that doesn’t mean that the groups will remain the same; in fact, they will have changed because my co-intern and I will be gone. Continue reading
A Gentle & Generous Presence
This week I’ve been thinking a lot about power, leadership, and how these notions intersect with age. This comes to mind when I think about the group that Jessi, Bekah, and I started called Café Arts, which came out of a process of brainstorming ideas about how to provide an intermodal space for safe exploration of self as well as build deeper community connection for participants a part of Café Emmanuel. It has been an interesting experience in group process; Café Arts has been held in a collaborative spirit since its inception. From the design of the flier, to the overall structure of the groups, to our co-facilitation, the dynamics, which have existed and continue to blossom among us, have been the central piece of the project for me. This centrality is further emphasized in my mind by the reality that the group participants have been so varied and sparse throughout its time. Bekah, Jessi, and I have been the stable presence throughout and our group leadership has been quite fascinating and dynamic. Continue reading