OBJECTIVE OF THE SESSION
The objective of this session is to reinforce self-confidence and enable participants to react in a respectful way.
By the end of the session each member will be able to:
- Use Improv techniques as a methodology to improve self-confidence and self-esteem
- Learn tools to be able to adapt to the situations from a sane attitude.
- Practice reactivity and proactivity discovering ourselves.
CASE SCENARIO: I NEVER GET ANGRY
Panos is 50 years old resident of a psychosocial rehabilitation unit diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
One morning he got permission from the unit to visit a bank to do some procedures related to his bank account. When it was his turn to be served, the bank employee gave him a form to fill in. Panos had several questions about completing the application. At one point the bank employee was angry and shouted to Panos, asking him why is so difficult to fill out the application. When the bank employee found that the address of residence referred to in the application was the address of a psychosocial rehabilitation unit, the bank employee said in an ironic tone «now I understand».
This comment by the employee caused laughter in the queue of people waiting behind him. Panos did not comment on the behavior of the employee. He was angry at first but then thought that it was not a very important incident, he considered the employee’s reaction reasonable and justified his behavior as normal, taking into account his fatigue. Returning to the unit where he lives, he met another resident of the psychosocial rehabilitation unit, who asked for some money.
Panos then replied that he has nothing to give him because he has not been able to finish process at the bank he visited. The other resident called him «useless» and left. Panos did not answer, bowed his head, went to the yard of the unit and smoked. Shortly thereafter, a staff member approached him and told him that he smoked a lot and this habit may cause him a lot of health problems in the future. Then Panos made a loud burst of anger, shouting and screaming. He eventually asked for extra medication in order to calm down.
TRAINING SESSION
The trainer welcomes the participants and informs them of the case scenario (see above). After having informed the participants of the case scenario the trainer presents the goals of the session by pinpointing the type of aggression, the emotions and the coping strategies:
- Theoretical background
Aggression type
Episodes of verbal aggression which reinforce social stigma.
- Emotions: anger, guilt
- Coping/ Stressors related to mental illness/social stigma and victimization. Functional coping strategies
- Questions and answers
1st Question
At what point in the scenario do you find that the protagonist was a victim of violence? To what kind of violence does the scenario refer to?
1st Answer
The comments of the bank employee were an insult and a reaction that stigmatized Panos. The laughing of the other bank customers was a derogatory reaction.
Also the behavior of the other resident of the unit could be characterized as verbally violent.
2nd Question
Do you think that the thoughts, the actions, the feelings and the attitudes adopted by the protagonist of the scenario helped him/her to cope with this situation? Are there any alternative ideas?
2nd Answer
Panos was angry at first but did not act according to his feelings. He then considered the behavior of the bank employee reasonable. In the second incident with the other resident of the unit, Panos seems to have taken a “passive attitude”.
In neither of the two cases, he did not adopt aggressive behavior (although he was angry at first). On one hand his reaction may have helped him to avoid a possible trouble. On the other hand, an accumulation of some feelings may possibly have caused an intense anger episode.
3rd Question
What other interventions and actions could further help the protagonist to deal with this incident and with any potential similar incidents in the future?
3rd Answer
An alternative attitude he could adopt, may perhaps be to express his dissatisfaction with the attitude of the bank employee and the other resident (calmly). Also, instead of reacting in this way to the staff member of the structure, he could talk to him about the incidents that made him feel uncomfortable, so that he would be emotionally relieved.
Then, there is a discussion and the participants express their ideas. By the end of this part the participants should have determined that the case scenario deals with: relational aggression resulting in exclusion, ostracism and that the emotion this session will focus on is anger and anxiety.
PREPARATION
This session is carried out between the trainer (improvisation professional) and the caretakers. They should all wear comfortable clothes and shoes.
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Number of participants: 6-20 persons
- Place: A diaphanous room without columns where anyone can move freely
- Materials and tools: Chair, paper, and pen
NOTE: This sessions proposes a set of activities to deal with the emotions produced by verbal violence situations, some activities might be more suitable than others to the final trainees depending on factors like their culture or mental health illness (i.e those activities involving physical contact). The mental health professional leading the session can skip or modify those exercises adapting it to the needs of the trainees.
PROCEDURE
Introduction
- Duration: 10 minutes
- Description: Introducing the case scenario, the questions, and the emotion
Improvisational training
Exercise 1: Name + action
Purpose: Mental and body activation
Duration: 20 minutes
Description: The trainer invites the attendees to form a circle, and then they will introduce their name and something that represents them that begins with the same letter as their name. While doing so, they will do a physical action. The next one has to do his partner’s first, then his/her.
Example: Berta – Buena. The action is to touch the heart.
Berta – Buena (touch the heart), Alfonso – Alto (stand on tiptoe and stretch the arms).
Berta Buena, Alfonso Alto, Cristina Cariñosa.
We always remember what the previous one has said. We focus on remembering.
Exercise 2: Black or white
Purpose: To release, to play, to connect
Duration: 10 minutes
Description: We walk through the area. When we meet, we count to 3 (1, 2, 3). At the same, time we have to say either black or white. If we coincide, we celebrate it. If not, we should cheer up and try again until we will get it.
Exercise 3: Mexican wave
Purpose: To release the body and activate mind to set aside the resistance
Duration: 10 minutes
Description: We form a circle. In a clockwise direction, a wave —like supporters in the soccer stadiums usually do— is passing (by raising arms when the previous persons have lifted theirs), while in an anti-clockwise direction we are passing our names.
Exercise 4: This is the story of…
Purpose: To introduce ourselves; what would be our history; don’t be afraid of who we are
Duration: 25 minutes
Description: The participants are put in pairs, they would work on the following structure: This is the story of…, that every day…., until one day…, and since then.
The trainer would begin to tell his/her story: This is the story of Berta, who went to law school every day without having much desire to learn and having certain anxiety… Until one day she received an e-mail from the school of drama, then decided to sign up to study theater. Since then, she lives happily on stage and teaches the art of storytelling to the others.
Each one is going to do it with their partner, and then they will present it to the rest of their colleagues.
It can be contextualized so that they can introduce themselves by talking about less personal topics, such as talking about their tastes in food if it is suspected that the exercise may awaken painful memories.
You can also do the exercise in a group rather than in pairs.
Exercise 5: 3 in improv
Purpose: Creativity and ingenuity, image composition
Duration: 15 minutes
Description: A person comes out, stands in a pose, and says what it is: “I AM A TREE”. Another person comes out, relates to what the other has created, “I AM AN APPLE HANGING ON THE TREE”. Then the third person would come out and relate themselves to the previous one, “I AM THE WORM IN THE APPLE THAT’S HANGING ON THE TREE”.
The last one would stay saying what it was:
“I AM A WORM”
And then the process it is repeated.
To finish, they would get into a situation where everyone can participate by being something. For example, a wedding…, “I am the priest” or “I am the bride.” When everyone gets their roles, someone would shout, «PHOTO». Participants need to pose based on the characters they have chosen. Then it is the end of the session.
CONCLUSION
Duration: 5 minutes
Description: In this session, the idea is to compose and generate in a group; to work with what we have and to play; to release our thoughts that oppress us throughout the day
At the end of the session, the trainer would ask questions that stimulate reflection, namely, “How do you think the above session links to the emotion we are dealing with?”, “What did you find helpful?” and so on. Then, he/she will invite participants to pinpoint what stroke their attention, what they have gained, and want they want to keep as a reference point from all the above procedure as well as to ask any questions related to the above exercises.
