This is 'Developmental Group-Work' in a London HOSTEL with a Christmas theme.

Here is a Christmas story.

It's a description of a piece of Group Work.

Me working with late teens/early twenties

all living in a homeless Hostel

all being supported during tough time in their lives.

Maybe you can take this and transpose it

into your own context?

*

................I started by giving each member of the group 

a little Christmas tree the size if a 5 pence coin.

Then I asked what feelings they had - seeing - feeling this.

As usual, many have difficulty to contact how they feel.

Out-slipped words like

'I hate Christmas',

'I don't like Christmas',

I have no money to buy,

not even, one present.

I then sensitively moved to asking them who the main human characters were

in the Christmas story.

The first word uttered was 'Santa'.

Soon after there was a list of eight mentioned

(- come on - you can do this as I tell you about

this group work experience !)

Their names/descriptions went into a hat, 

Jesus went into the hat too.

Each human then drew one out and

I went around the circle asking how they thought

that their character 'felt' - a feelings question.

Here are some stand-out feelings;

Mary - stressed

Joseph - scared/worried

Innkeeper - guilty

King - good-to-give

Shepherd - in awe

Angel - 'yes'  ! - sorted!

Three humans in the story were noted as having negative feelings 

and they were the main focus of the whole affair - as responsible adults.

The rich - feeling good to give,

not just receiving.

The tough rough/simple life style shepherds

- awe - overwhelmed.

The last one was a dead pleased Angel

who really knew that this was pretty good news ....

....... "YESSSSSSS"

Why do this?

Why did I do this in a group of humans?

1 I am on a journey to cultivate in myself, and others, an increasing ability to be able to get into contact my/their own feelings.

2 Looking at others and empathising is a learning process into sensitivity.

3 Articulating those feelings is a process of 'owning' such powerful things as feelings.

4 A human identification with a powerful historical spiritual human story.

5 Reality at Christmas - to escape the tinsel for some small moments ....

.... and it was stinking good .........

Why not try it on humans around you?

Adapt - of course.

Transpose the idea to your own context.
You never know, they may be pleased to talk 'real'
midst the rest of the Christmas slippery slope.

I am 'being’ & ‘becoming’ with this group, 

during the session,

humans who are this - amongst other things;

Visibly self harming
Severely depressed
Lost and uncertain
Lonely and afraid
No place like home to go at Christmas
Refugee
Deep feelings and disturbed

(the last one is me and I want to be disturbed!)

Thanx for clicking this way.

I will tell you straight -

I take value from you doing this.

and

I
want
to
comfort
the
disturbed
and
disturb
the
comfortable

BHP