Engaging Group Activities for SELF REFLECTION and EXPLORATION of FEELINGS

This Activity Workbook is suitable for use in the following settings and when working with the following populations;Elderly citizens in Nursing homes or similar settingsYouth groups in various settings (including Religious youth camps and Juvenile facilities)Inmate groups in Prisons and other Correctional facilities (Groups may be facilitated by Chaplains or other suitable facilitators)Lower Functioning Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals or other Mental Health settingsSubstance Abuse...
More Description

This Activity Workbook is suitable for use in the following settings and when working with the following populations;Elderly citizens in Nursing homes or similar settingsYouth groups in various settings (including Religious youth camps and Juvenile facilities)Inmate groups in Prisons and other Correctional facilities (Groups may be facilitated by Chaplains or other suitable facilitators)Lower Functioning Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals or other Mental Health settingsSubstance Abuse and Chemical Dependency groups in Rehab facilities or other detox settingsThis workbook is also appropriate for use in any group setting in which the purpose is to evoke self-reflection and exploration of feelings. Each activity in this workbook was utilized extensively over the course of 6 months by Rizi Xavier Timane PhD, MSW, while he was training as a Social Worker Intern working with Psychiatric patients at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital (Behavioral Health Unit) located in Valencia, California. Psychiatric patients responded very positively to these activities. Notably, patients that were Substance abusers, lower functioning (or both with Co-morbid disorders), and were either unwilling or unable to partake in usual daily groups were always open to participating in these activities. The activities were found to play a therapeutic role by allowing for the use of motivational interviewing with the patients in an attempt to explore feelings that they may have difficulty otherwise expressing. The activities also allowed for the exposure of the patients widely held negative cognitions which could be resolved by the use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). All activities also fulfilled a Psycho-Educational function by enabling patients to identify their Psycho-Social Stressors and to discover alternative coping strategies that they could use in their daily lives. During these activities, all patients were also able to provide and utilize peer support with fellow members in the group.