Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The End...sort of


The group I was observing at my placement ended two Fridays ago. I missed part of their morning activities because I had an appointment with a client but quickly rushed in after we were done. When I arrived, the table was covered with all kinds of goodies that the facilitators and clients brought to celebrate their last day including delicious wraps, a medley of salads (pasta, potato, bean), cakes, breads and a nice selection of beverages!

As part of their closing activities, each participant created a card with an affirmation they felt best-suited them on the cover. They then passed them around and each wrote something special about each other. The end result was a lovely keepsake for each participant to take away with them and revisit, as needed. When asked what people were planning to do with their cards, one woman answered that she would display hers close to her computer so that when she was applying for jobs she wouldn't feel so alone; another replied that she would carry it in her purse and take it out to review before going on an interview for moral support.

As the morning wrapped up, the group presented tokens of appreciation to the facilitators and I was pleasantly surprised (and touched) that one was also presented to me (I think for just providing oxygen to the room). It was really thoughtful and I found myself getting choked up as we did a 'check-out' before the workshop officially ended.

There's a different workshop that begins next Monday that will run for three weeks (part of which I'll be co-facilitating). I can't wait to observe a new group and see how the workshop unfolds. I love seeing the group dynamics at play, watching the seasoned facilitators do their thing and going through the whole experiential process myself.

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