Support groups
provide encouragement and understanding for people dealing with similar issues.
Support groups may consist of cancer patients, stroke victims and people with
mental health problems, attention deficits or addictions. Whatever issue you're
struggling with, the group activities can enhance the healing experience.
Here is a list of
ideas that I have employed at various times in a mental health setting for
groups of adults, children, and teens.
Support groups provide
encouragement and understanding for people dealing with similar issues.
Support groups may consist of cancer patients, stroke victims and people
with mental health problems, attention deficits or addictions. Whatever
issue you're struggling with, the group activities can enhance the
healing experience.
Read more :
http://www.ehow.com/way_5407011_support-group-activity-ideas.html
1. Stuck and Unstuck:-
(adapted from an
exercise in The
Moving Center by Gay and Kathleen Hendricks)
With selected music
in the background, participants stand in a circle and warm up by moving each
part of the body in creative movements, starting with the head and moving down
through the arms, torso, legs, and feet. One at a time, participants go to
the center of the circle and start by moving freely. The participant then
slows down until he is stuck in one body position, which can represent a way
that he feels "stuck," such as stuck in self-doubt, hopelessness,
stress, or neediness. He stays in the stuck position until he can devise
a way to "unstick" himself, either by making certain vocal sounds,
saying a powerful phrase, shaking free, or breathing deeply into the position
until it releases. Repeat for each person and discuss.
Each person in the
group comes up with five to ten words that everyone writes down on a blank
piece of paper. On lined paper, participants write 5 to 10 sentences
using the words that were spoken, adding filler words if needed. Share
the sentences and take the best line from each participant and arrange them on
one piece of paper to make a group poem. (This activity often produces
astounding creativity and provocative lines of poetry.)
3.
I Feel ___ Like A :-______.
Each person writes
"I feel ____ like a ____," filling in the blanks; for example,
"I feel grumpy like a turtle that fell into a sewer." Draw,
color, or paint the images associated with the feeling below the sentence,
using as much color and detail as possible.
4.
Chariots of Fire Ritual:-
Each person gets
four pieces of paper. On one paper, each person writes their goal for
their lives, such as "success," "sobriety," or
"happiness." On the three other pieces of paper, each person
writes an obstacle to reaching their goal, such as "Conflicts with my
children," "boredom," or "negative thinking."
Create an obstacle course in the room with chairs and tables. The
"obstacle" sheets are placed on the chairs and tables on the obstacle
course, and the "goal" sheet is placed at the finish line. The
participant can read aloud what has been written on each sheet as they are
being placed. As participants go through the obstacle course, they can
either rip up each of the obstacles on the pieces of paper, push aside the
chairs on which they are placed, or crawl around or under the obstacles to
reach the finish line. The group stands behind the finish line shouting
encouragement and cheering for each person when they reach the finish.
The process is repeated for each person. Play "The Chariots of Fire"
in the background for a dramatic effect!
5.
Bardic Circle:-
Sitting in a circle,
everyone takes turn sharing something with the group, such as performing a
song, a dance, a poem, a joke, or an interesting fact, or teaching a new
skill. Everyone is encouraged to be supportive and attentive when others share.
6.
Drum Your Family:-
Percussion
instruments are placed in the center of the room (which can also include
"homemade" instruments like a pen with a plastic cup or rattling
keys!) Each participant describes the people that live in the home with
them, such as family members or roommates, and selects an instrument to
represent that person. The participant plays the instrument in a way that
represents that family member's qualities, such as loud, soft, fast, slow,
easy-going or rigid. The participant selects someone in the group to play
that instrument according to the participant's specifications. The
participant continues to assign instruments to group members to represent each
family member in their home. When all the parts have been assigned, the
group members play their instruments together in the way that the participant
has demonstrated, and the participant listens until she directs them to stop
playing. Discuss how the family sounded - were some family members more
aligned and others more dissonant? Repeat for each participant.
7.
Personal Mythology:-
Create a story using
the following form: "Once upon a time there was a _____ named _____.
It was very _____, _____, and _____. It lived in _____ with ______.
Every day it would _____. It's favorite thing about its life was _____.
It's least favorite thing was _____. More than anything, it wanted
_____. The only problem was that _____. One day, it was _____, when
suddenly _____." Continue the story to completion and write,
"The End." Discuss if and how the main character solved its
problem.
8. Yes, No, I Don't Know :
(adapted from
an exercise from Gabrielle Roth)
Participants partner
in pairs facing each other, and decide which partner will be A or B.
Partner A starts by saying "Yes" and Partner B says
"No." When the facilitator says "Go," each pair will
have about 30 seconds to say "Yes" and "No" to each other
in a dialogue with varying moods, attitudes and intensity. Repeat with
Partner A saying "No" and Partner B saying "Yes" for thirty
seconds. Notice if it was easier to say "Yes" or "No"
in the dialogues. Next, Partner A will ask five questions to Partner B,
to which Partner B can only answer "Yes." The questions can be
silly or serious. Repeat with Partner B asking Partner A five questions,
to which Partner A can only answer "Yes." What was it like to
accept everything someone asks? Next, Partner A will ask five questions
to Partner B, but Partner B can only answer "No." Repeat with
Partner B asking Partner A. What was it like to reject everything someone
asks? Finally, Partner A will ask five questions to Partner B, but
Partner B can only answer "I don't know." Repeat with Partner B
asking Partner A. What was it like to be in a state of unknowing?
9.
Coloring Meditation:-
Trace objects in the
room onto a piece of paper with a pencil, such as tissue boxes, cups, or
plastic containers. Make an interesting design with the overlapping
shapes. Alternatively, make designs by scribbling on a piece of paper in
varying shapes and patterns. Color with markers, colored pencils, or
crayons. Facilitator can play relaxing music in the background as
participants are coloring. Discussion: How did this activity affect your
mood?
10.
Empty the Jug:-
Discussion: If
feelings are kept bottled up, they build up and overflow.
Activity: Draw a
large bottle or jug on your paper. Draw two lines across its center to
make three layers in the jug. In the top layer, write three lines
describing feelings you feel right now and the reason, such as "Tired
because I didn't sleep well last night," or "Nervous because I'm with
people I don't know." In the middle layer, write three lines
describing feelings you had in the past and the reason, such as "Sad when
my dog died," or "Mad when my mother kicked me out of the
house." In the bottom layer, imagine you are peering into the depths
of your heart without really knowing what is there, so you will try to guess by
writing three lines like "Maybe I feel mad because I have no friends"
or "Maybe I feel scared because I'm getting old." Try to
surprise yourself and write something you didn't expect. Participants are
not required to share their bottom layer if it will help them to take more
risks in their writing.
