Assignment task:
Respond to at least two colleagues by providing respectful feedback on their demonstration of starting the group and introducing an icebreaker. Suggest an additional way motivational interviewing might be used in tandem with the identified icebreaker to engage members. Need Online Tutoring?
1-DAVID-
Demonstrate how you would start the group session, using the exact wording you would use if you were speaking directly to the group. Present and explain an ice-breaker activity that is appropriate for your group. Note: This should be different than any of the examples provided in this week's Icebreakers document.
"Good afternoon and welcome your group! We have already discussed the ground rules and protocol[1], so let's get to know one another a little. I'll start then the person here to my right can go, and so on until we have all introduced ourselves. My name is David, and I am here to guide the group."
Explain how you would use motivational interviewing within the icebreaker to build cohesion and engagement, particularly with involuntary or resistant group members.
In having the group introduce themselves, one person, let's call him Ken, declines to talk. This is how I would handle it.
"Thank you all for sharing, but how about you? Can you tell us your name and why you are here?"
The sullen individual displays classic closed off body language. He then states that he sees no reason to as he is required to be there by court order. My response would be that, out of a sense of fairness to the rest of the group, he can at least introduce himself. I would also point out that there may be others in the group that are required to be there. I would then ask him to consider making the best of the situation, that he may benefit from being there; that the judge must have seen the potential for helping him rather than throwing him in jail. In short, I would try really hard to reason with Ken.
[1] Protocol to include such things as talking, using a talking totem, leaving for snacks or bathroom breaks, etc.
2-JULIE-Hi everyone and welcome to our group session. I'm really glad that you're here today and taking the first few steps towards your journey of recovery. And I know being a part of this group can be challenging and I acknowledge that. And this space where we can all come together and support one another and learn through our journey without judgment or any animosity towards one another. So today we're going to start by doing that activity. This will, this activity is just a way for us to get to know one another in an easy way.
It's called an icebreaker. And with this icebreaker, we're going to tell one another about the story behind our names. So this is how it is. So first you'll say your name, easy enough, and then you'll give a fact or you'll how the story how you became your name and it could be anything it could be something special deeper meaning it could be a funny joke so I'll start so my name is Julie and my mom when she was pregnant with me was really into the show facts of life
I'm guessing some of you might not know the show it's really old around in the 80s and there was a character on the show named Trudy well everyone in my family minus my mom is named with a J and my mom thought that they were saying Julie but they were saying Trudy so I almost ended up being Trudy Charles instead of Julie Charles so that's the story behind my name and you know it's a little fun fact to learn about being So I'll let you guys go next and say your name in something fun. You know, it could be deeper to be anything about your name. All right, so the way I would use this fun icebreaker would just be to, you know, ease us into you getting to know one another and the way I would use motivational interviewing would be. to affirm the person like you know it sounds like your name really had a deep significant meaning to it or that's a beautiful meaning behind your name so I would give them affirmations with that and then I would also ask open-in questions like so how does your name make you feel when you hear it or you know what does your name say about you or where you're from because some people might have a name that is based off of someone in their family of their culture of their background I would definitely do a lot of reflective listening like it sounds like your name has been a way of honoring mother father uncle aunt someone very important in your life I can see how this would bring a sense of connection to that person so I would just use that to just develop more and more a connection with those in the group so if I see someone is maybe hesitant to share I would just be like you know I understand if sharing your name feels a bit uncomfortable what might make it easier to share in this group just to find out something else you know a little less probably person to begin with just something surface you know level just to find that way to connect with one another by using motivational interviewing I think it you know builds that connection with me the clinician and the group altogether just to find out the different things about one another and you know just a very calm easy kind of manner so yeah serve our name little pressure