SESSION 4 -Dealing relationship issues with parents

OBJECTIVE OF THE SESSION

The objective of this session is to help people with mental health illnesses who feel stressed and angered to identify their emotion, manage it and turn it into a positive emotion. The trainer tells the caretakers that s/he is going to provide them with improvisation skills in order to help patients with anxiety issues.

By the end of the session each member will be able to:

– use improvisation in order to empower people with low self-esteem, depression.

– apply a variety of theatre techniques for cultivating freedom of expression, respect and recognition of the uniqueness and diversity of people, friends and family, and

– express anger through theatre and transform anger into creativity.

CASE SCENARIO

Franziska is an 18 years old girl who belongs to a middle-class family. She is currently pursuing her high school. She is currently in her second year. As a person, Franziska is a little reserved and has a small friend circle. She takes some time to open up to people. Franziska noticed that as soon as she entered the high school, there was a drastic change in her parent’s attitude towards her. According to Franziska, her parents had become over-protective, suspicious, and argued with her almost on a daily basis. Her parents didn’t like her meeting school friends and especially boys and kept a check on her calls and messages. She was not at all comfortable with the restrictions her father had put on her. Franziska was increasingly feeling restless and agitated. At times, she used to also answer them back which lead to further conflicts and fights. Franziska was scared of her father and believed that her father would never listen to her. Franziska assumed that talking to him was of no use. Due to the constant conflicts with her parents, Franziska became stressed and realized that she is not able to concentrate properly on her studies and she is lagging behind in her academics as well. Since she was not able to deal with the situations and her studies were getting impacted really badly.

TRAINING SESSION DEALING WITH RELATIONSHIP ISSUES WITH PARENTS

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 and denial of it – resulting in relational aggression and escapism from relations.
• Emotions: anger, disappointment.
• Coping: Stressors related to mental illness/social stigma and self-stigma.
• Coping: Functional coping strategies.
• Questions and answers

1^st 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? 

1^st Answer

When her parents had become over-protective, suspicious, and argued with her almost on a daily basis.

It refers to emotional and verbal violence.

2^nd 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?

2^nd Answer

No, it didn’t she couldn’t deal with the situation and in fighting back with her parents she also made the whole situation worse. As a result Franziska started feeling depressed, her depressed mood got worse and will get worse in this vicious cycle. In this case the family is instrumental in the healing of Franziska’s psychic.

3^rd 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?

3^rd Answer

• Behavioral interventions
• Developmental interventions
• Family-based interventions, a therapy altogether
• Therapy-based interventions
• Medical interventions just to get over the depression and being able to focus on strategies to deal with the situation

And also:

– What are the main problematics exposed in the case scenario?

– How are the issues presented in the above case scenario related to specific emotions?

– Which are those emotions?

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 with elements of verbal aggression and even emotional violence and that the emotions this session will focus on are anxiety and 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: yoga mats, post-its, colour pencils, large pieces of drawing paper, pens.

PROCEDURE

Introduction

• Duration: 10 minutes.
• Description: Introducing the case scenario, the questions and the emotion.

Introduction Exercises – Improvisational training

Warm up: If the trainers want to include relaxation exercises (i.e. stretching, body warm up, imagination relaxation etc.) they can take 5 minutes before each session to do them. It is important to note that participants with mobility problems can execute all the exercises sitting on a chair and using the parts of their body which are mobile and/or their imagination.

Note: All exercises which include physical contact and/or movement can be substituted by a) the trainer performing the exercises and explaining, b) the trainer performing the exercises and the group instructing her/him and c) the group can be sitting in their chairs and they can narrate, imagine and/or share their physicality or mobility.

1. Exercise 1: Breathing – Relaxing

• Purpose: Relaxation, body awareness.
• Duration: 10 minutes.
• Description: All the participants lay on the floor on their backs. Their body and legs are straight, arms by their body. They close their eyes. The trainer guides them vocally through the entire exercise. At first the trainer asks the participants to breathe normally, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Then s/he asks them to feel the breath in their entire body, the arms, the legs, the torso, their abdomen. When the trainer has managed to establish a sense of calm and relaxation, s/he can move to the next exercise.

2.  Exercise 2: Mental walk

• Purpose: Relaxation, body awareness, imagination, creativity.
• Duration: 5 minutes.
• Description: The participants continue to lay on the floor on their backs breathing calmly. The trainer guides them vocally through the entire exercise. This is going to be a mental walk. The trainer commences: “Imagine you are laying on a beach. It is a warm day, but not very hot. You are laying comfortably on your backs. You can hear the sea next to you. The sand you are laying on is wet and soft. It has taken the shape of your body. Feel the sand. As time goes by, the sand is starting to dry from the lovely, soft sea breeze. It is a magic kind of sand. It does not stick on you. Now that the sand has dried you can start to move your body, slowly, aiming to stand”. The trainer guides the participants to stand gradually, from a fetus position to slowly raising your body. When the participants stand up straight they should breathe slowly.

3. Exercise 3: Diving into the water

• Purpose: Body awareness, imagination, observation, communication, creativity.
• Duration: 10 minutes.
• Description: The participants are standing still. The trainer guides them vocally through the entire exercise. This exercise is also going to be a mental walk. The trainer commences: “Close your eyes. [As the participants have their eyes closed the trainer should keep an eye on them. If some participants feel that they have to open their eyes, then the trainer should give them that option and work with them from there.] Imagine that you are standing in front of a river. The water is blue, calm and inviting. The soft waves start to touch your toes. You are a bit surprised, at first, but pleasantly surprised. You feel the inviting call of the water. You slowly walk into the river. The water envelops your ankles, your calves, your knees, your thighs. You slowly start to walk. You can now open your eyes, if you want, if you don’t want to open them, then I will keep an eye on you. Feel the water around your legs as you are walking into the river. Feel the pressure on your body. It is relaxing and inviting. The water is warm. Now you can walk further in, allow the water to envelop your hips. Feel the water rising. Slowly walk further in and allow the water to enfold your tammy, your chest. Now you can dip your arms into the water. Keep walking and allow the water to cover your shoulders, your neck. Walk around the water feeling it caresses your entire body. Now it is time to dive in. The water starts to cover your chin, your mouth, your nose. You feel that you can breathe normally. You are made to breathe in this water. It is friendly and relaxing. Now the water covers your eyes, but you can see perfectly. Walk a bit further in and have your entire body covered in water. Feel the freedom. Feel the ease, the lightness. Walk around the warm water. Sense your body’s potential and limitations. Explore what it can do”. Allow the participants to walk in the water for a short while. Then say: “Now the water starts getting a bit cold. It’s not very cold, but it is not as inviting anymore. It is time to go to the shore”. Alternatively, if you don’t want to have your participants feel cold, the trainer could say: “You are slowly reaching the other side of the river. It is time to go out”. Gradually, using a reverse narrative, take the participants to the shore. Then say: “The sun is warm and has dried you out”.

4. Exercise 4: Promenade in the forest

• Purpose: Body and group awareness, imagination, observation, readiness, communication, creativity.
• Duration: 15 minutes.
• Description: The participants are standing up. Behind them is the river, in front of them is a big, green forest with tall trees and beautiful plantation. Everything is inviting. There is nothing there that can frighten the participants. The trainer invites the participants to go for a walk in the forest. The trainer says: “The sun has made you feel hot. You don’t want to stand under the sun anymore. You seek the soothing qualities of the shade. You enter the forest. The forest is beautiful. You can breathe the fresh air. Your body experiences the comfort of the trees and plantation around you. You start to walk. As you are walking you see a lovely flower. You bend and caress it. You observe it. What does it look like?” Then the trainer can ask each participant individually to describe the flower. How does it smell? What colour is it? Is it big or small? Does the participant cut it or does s/he observe it and moves on? Then you continue with the promenade. The trainer says: “You are now moving deeper into the forest, but you realise that you are not alone. You have your friend with you. You can great each other, touch each other, show that you recognize them and you slowly form a group. You suddenly hear a sound. It is a roar. Does it come from a lion? Listen carefully. Where is it? Is it far? Is it close? Here it comes again. It is very far away. You are safe. If you were afraid there is no reason to feel afraid anymore. Now you see a lovely butterfly flying around the trees and the plantation. It is beautiful, colourful, with lovely, soft wings. She invites you to follow her. You can now follow your butterfly independently. The butterfly has lured you into to the forest. You were too busy looking at her and now you are lost. You don’t know where you are. You look around and everything is unfamiliar. It’s getting dark. You are completely lost. You wonder around and you don’t know where you are going. Suddenly, you see a light up ahead. It is dim. You start walking towards it. You are getting closer. Now you know where the light is coming from. It’s a house”.
• Variations: There are many variations to this exercise. The trainer can choose to delay the formation of the group, to play with the light and the darkness, to introduce more sound, smells, sensations and so on. You can go through hardships or experience more lovely sensations. It all depends upon the dynamics of the group. There are no limitation to this exercise, but you should always keep the participants safe and comfortable.

5. Exercise 5: Dramatizing Your “Hansel and Gretel” Story

• Purpose: watch a story from different point of view and aspects, cultivating options and skills to transform a story, detachment and empathy
• Duration: 15 minutes.
• Description: The trainer continues the “forest narration” from the previous exercise and s/he presents an adaptation of Hansel and Gretel by Brothers Grimm. In this adaptation, s/he narrates the story till the point where the two kids, Hansel and Gretel, are kidnapped by both a witch and a wizard, and they have to find a way to escape. The trainer leads the participants to shape “group sculpture” in small groups which express the issue being addressed. Each group models its members into a shape which represents how they perceive this weird meeting of the four characters: Ηansel, Gretel, Witch and Wizard. Then, each group presents their group sculpture to the whole team. At the end of each presentation, the trainer with “a magic wand” from the adapted story, gives voice to the characters. Each member expresses, with words, the inner thoughts of the embodied character in this moment. The trainer takes the role of the Witch/Wizard and seats in the hot-seat: s/he provokes questioning in role and accepts questions from the participants as themselves or from other characters. Then another member takes the role of the Witch/Wizard and sits in the hot-seat. Participants question her/his motives, beliefs and try to figure out more facts about the story. The trainer splits the group into two, and each small group performs collectively Hansel or Gretel. Each group has to discuss and find a way to confront the Witch and the Wizard via democratic values and processes. Hansel-Group and Gretel-Group present their decisions. At the end the trainers shape two lines horizontally: line one performs the Witch and the Wizard, line two performs the kids. They start a debate in role. One member from line one expresses feelings towards characters from line two and then the opposite happens.
• Alternative fairy tale: Tom Thumb or any story that reflects upon the relationship between parents and children

REFLECTION-RESPONDING TO THE WHOLE SESSION

6. Exercise 6: Drawing Your “Hansel and Gretel” Story

• Purpose: transform anger and feelings in painting, fantasy, creativity.
• Duration: 10 minutes.
• Description: How do you imagine the Witch and the Wizard of the above story? The trainer asks participants to draw or to make a figure of the Witch and the Wizard. S/he gives them “post-it” cards in order to write their feelings for them and post these cards in the drawing.

7. Exercise 7: Space between your “Hansel and Gretel” Story

• Purpose: metaphor to real world, transformation of feelings, thoughts and stereotypes.
• Duration: 5 minutes.
• Description: The trainer asks participants to shape the space between the Witch and the Wizard and Hansel and Gretel: they arrange characters so that the space between them represents the relationship distance from and to each other. Then the trainer asks the participants to change the proxemics between the characters, according to the outcome of the story, that is, with a good (or a positive ending). What would the space between the characters be like if the Witch and the Wizard had changed their minds? Participants shape this new distance and try to give it a name, namely “fear”, “power”, “faith”, “surprise” and so on.

8. Exercise 8: Self-description and empowerment of the individual

• Purpose: Encouragement, self-confidence.
• Duration: 5 minutes.
• Description: The trainer asks participants to express their feelings driven from the above story. Then s/he asks each member of the group to state publicly three positive characteristics for themselves and to share one characteristic for everyone else.

CONCLUSION

• Duration: 5 minutes.
• Description: At the end of the session the trainer will 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 s/he will invite participants to pinpoint what stroke their attention, what they 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.