OBJECTIVE OF THE SESSION
The objective of this session is to transform our fears. We propose a series of dynamics that will work on acceptance. From there, we are able to go to other places without fear, without labels, and without barriers. The improv frees us and brings us closer to the others.
This session will connect us in a genuine way with our colleagues. We will learn to watch and above all, we will let ourselves to be seen. LET OURSELVES BE SEEN. “This is me.”
At the end of the session, we will be able to reflect on the comprehension of fear of losing and need for acceptance in the community is essential to human.
The games that we are going to offer in this scenario allow us to free ourselves from the rule of right and wrong, also to reconcile ourselves with our whole being.
CASE SCENARIO
Our protagonist is a man with mental health issues. He visits a therapist, but he won’t tell anyone about it, neither his closest friends nor his family. He doesn’t want them changing their behavior towards him, and he’s afraid of being misjudged if they find out he’s mentally ill. In consequence, people around him kept treating him as always. In fact, he was given many new responsibilities at work, responsibilities which exhausted his mind. Eventually, he got more and more stressed every time, and so he lost his job. His friends drifted away from him, and even his family blamed him for his lack of professionalism and for his incapability to handle a little bit more of responsibility.
TRAINING SESSION
The trainer welcomes the participants and informs them of the case scenario (see above) either through power point presentation or via narration. 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:
Aggression type: fear of social stigma, resulting in relational aggression
Emotions: shame, fear
Coping/Stressors: related to mental illness/social stigma
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
- When his friends stay away from him.
- When his family blames him for being unprofessional at work.
- It refers to emotional violence.
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
No, he isn’t able yet to react to it honestly and protect himself. If he doesn’t open up, neither he will get help from the people around him regarding his mental illness, nor will they be able to understand the situation and react accordingly.
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
- Therapeutic interventions
- Medical interventions
- Vocational interventions
- Social care interventions
Later, there is a discussion where participants could express their ideas. By the end of this part, participants should have determined the case scenario to deal with: relational aggression resulting in exclusion, ostracism; and this session will focus on one emotion, which is anger.
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.
- Place: A room where there is space to move.
- Materials and tools: A box, small cards with adjectives written on them, music player and songs, large papers for drawing/writing, cardboard construction papers, colour pencils, pens and pencils.
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 exercices adapting it to the needs of the trainees.
PROCEDURE
1. NUMBERS, EIGHT ACTIONS
ESTIMATED TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes (for groups of 12-16 persons).
PURPOSE: to warm up the body, to activate the mind
DESCRIPTION:
We are going to walk through the area. We walk without looking at the ground, connecting with our colleagues, trying to look them in the eye:
- Every time I say number 1, I’m going to jump.
- Every time I say number two, I’m going to dance flamenco and say, «Ole, ole, and oleee!»
- Every time I say number 3, “I’m going to jump into a puddle”.
- Every time I say number 4, the ground is going to burn I will shout, «Oh, oh!» or «Ay, ay!»).
- Every time I say number 5, I’m going to put my feet in the water and I like it by saying, «Ahhhhh…» (number 4 and 5 are played in a row).
- Every time I say number 6, “I’m going to bend down, so a branch doesn’t hit me on the head”.
- Every time I say number 7, I am going to move closer to a colleague and say, “I’m so glad to see you” while giving him/her a big hug
- Every time I say number 8, they will do a judo throw.
This activity is trying to activate the body and mind. The body makes playful movements that will gain relaxation and connection with the others, also activates mind as well because they have to memorize numbers and actions.
After playing for approximately 10 minutes, it is important to understand that sometimes, the most normal thing is to make mistakes, and not know what action comes with what number. However, we must trust our intuition and act. There is freedom to do whatever we want. We have to make decisions. We have to act rather than be paralyzed, looking at the others to find out what decision they make or thinking that others will know more than ourselves, even though in reality, we are equally lost.
Next, they are placed in a line where one person is in front of the other. Then once again, they are allowed to watch and the others play the game (all the above while they are walking through the area).
CONCLUSION
The highlighted final reflection for all is the need to trust ourselves, to decide creatively, and to do as we have been told of what we really want to do.
- COUNT UP TO 10
ESTIMATED TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES
PURPOSE: to explore the approach and knowledge of the group
Once they have warmed up and laughed together, we will move on to the presentation.
DESCRIPTION: We put ourselves in a circle, following the clockwise. Then, we will count to 10. It is something that apparently seems simple. We do the first round, but only count to 10.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
We would think, «How silly it is!»
What we will do next is to put 3 (three) orders in the numbers, for example number 1, 5, and 10. We tell them that they are forbidden numbers; therefore they cannot say those numbers. Instead of saying number 1, we could say our name. Instead of saying number 5, I will bend down, putting my hands to my head saying, «Boom!» Lastly, instead of saying 10, I will say my place of birth.
It is a round that has to do as fast as the previous one without instructions. It is about not to think too much; to focus on playing and making mistakes. In order to be able to make the final reflection of this game, the process of learning comes from the error we commit; where success is born.
For example, the game would be, «BERTA, 2, 3, 4, BOOM!, 6, 7, 8, 9, VALLADOLID, MARÍA, 2, 3, 4, BOOM!, 6, 7, 8, 9, LEÓN…» and so on until they do several laps of the game.
What makes this game interesting is that it seems easy like the previous game. However, as several things that happen in life, everyone will encounter its difficulty. It is not for me because I have something «worse» than the rest. I do not judge how I do it, but I observe that it is equally difficult for all, something as silly as counting up to 10. What is happening to me is not so rare.
TARGETS: It is important to create bonds and collaboration
- THE SCULPTORS
ESTIMATED TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes. From each duration we will do 3 (three) changes of pairs.
PURPOSE: to let them be seen and to watch
DESCRIPTION: We divide the group into several pairs. We will work on observation and listening. One member of the couple will be A, and the other will be B. They will take turns. In all pairs, they will decide who will be A and who will be B.
First, it begins with A. He/she will choose a posture, as if he/she were a statue. He/she must play with the placement of fingers, hands, feet, legs, grimaces of the face, eyes, … WHILE A IS ON HIS/HER POSITION, B IS IN THE BACK. When A is ready, he/she will say, «Now!» and B will turn. He/she has 15 seconds to carefully observe the sculpture created by his/her partner…. At that point, the facilitator will blow a whistle, or may simply say, «TIME!», then B needs to turn again. At that moment, A has to change something in subtle way of his/her posture. For instance, if A has both palms open, he/she can close one of his/her fingers, or if his/her mouth is closed, he/she can open it a little. A will say again, «Now!», and B will have to discover what has changed in A’s posture.
They will do it for approximately 4 minutes. After each person has done their turn simultaneously in each pair, we will change the partners.
TARGETS: It is important that they take the time to observe themselves, to pay attention to other colleagues, to look deeply, and above all, to allow themselves to be seen. TO BE SEEN.
We will talk about such feeling, also the importance of seeing and being seen.
- THE MIRROR
ESTIMATED TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
PURPOSE: to connect with the group
DESCRIPTION: For this game, we will need to play music (for example Yiruma)
We will split the group back into pairs, suggesting that they would work with someone who has not worked with in the previous game. The same formula applies, they decide who is A and who is B.
A will start, and he/she must do very slow movements that B should follow as if A were B’s mirror… They can move throughout the available space, until the facilitator says, «CHANGE!», they should look into each other’s eyes. They cannot avoid each other’s stares.
It will take 3 (three) minutes. After that, A and B exchange their role (A to B, B to A). There will be three times of changing partners.
CONCLUSION
The reflection of this game links with the previous one, which is the gaze of the others. We will ask if it has been easy, difficult for them.
- IMAGINARY LINE
PURPOSE: to free ourselves and accept fears as a part of our humanity
DURATION: 10 minutes
DESCRIPTION: We will divide the group in half. The facilitator stands in the middle. We will make two lines. One person will always have another in his/her front.
It will start from the ones in the right row. Everyone in the right row must say the things that give them a lot of joy, meanwhile the other row will only listen to and observe. They must say it while JUMPING. Every person keeps jumping, also tells the person in front of him/her. They must do it in loop.
«Summer, it gives me a lot of joy… My dogs, they make me happy… Vanilla ice cream, it gives me a lot of joy… When the rainbow comes out, it makes me happy…» They jump for a minute letting themselves go. They repeat all the time the phrase, «IT MAKES ME HAPPY». When a minute has passed, we will say, «STOP», and the other row will start saying, «IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY…»
At the same dynamic, repeat the pet word phrase without restricting what the brain wants to say. It is done also while jumping. When one minute has passed, we will say, «STOP». The row on the right will start again then say, «I AM VERY UPSET» with the arms crossed and pressed against the body. After one minute, we say, «STOP». Next, the row on the left takes the turn to say, «I DON’T SUPPORT THAT…» for a minute, then stop. For the last round, they need to say, «I AM AFRAID OF…» while jumping and opening the arms up. For example, they can say, «I’m afraid of the dark… I’m afraid of dogs… I’m afraid of being rejected… I’m afraid of never falling in love…» After that, the left row will do exactly the same.
When we say “STOP” for the last time, we invite them to hug each other.
CONCLUSION
We finish the activity by sitting on the chairs or on the floor together in a circle. This aims to talk about the session; to talk about our fears and joys, also the importance of being able to express how we feel about something. They are not strange things, but they are deeply human things. The others need to know about ourselves because that is precisely what makes us connected; to look into our eyes without any fear.
