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Archive Number 990 | ||
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Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 14:56:55 EST
Hi all, I presented a workshop yesterday for social work students and field workers at the "I Dream a World" conference at the University of MD School of Social Work." I asked for help from list members when I was planning the workshop and got some great suggestions for resources for handouts. This is a brief report back on how it went. I've done workshops at this conference in the past on story and grief work. This one was to focus on using story with adolescent clients. I decided to go for experience rather than lecture (only had an hour and a half). I started right in by telling the beginning of Rumplestiltskin. I stopped when the miller's daughter is locked in the first room full of straw. I asked questions:How does it feel to be listening to a story? Are you aware of the other people listening with you? Do you have feelings that come up as you hear the story? Feelings about the characters or what they do? In the story so far, are there themes or issues that connect to your life or to the lives of your clients or prospective clients? I told the rest of the story. Then I asked them to think of one scene or image in the story that stood out for them and gave out paper and crayons. In groups of 3, I asked them each to tell the story of that scene. I asked them to look at the scene they drew and choose one character or object in the scene, and then to tell the story or a part of it from that first person perspective. If they got stuck, they could ask their partners to ask them questions. Then they journalled about the meanings that came up in the story relative to their lives, work and clients. In between all of this there was sharing and conversation. They certainly seemed to enjoy the story, but initially were reluctant to say much. Slowly we drew out connections in the story, issues that their client population deals with of betrayal by parents, boasting, hopelessness, etc. I could sense discomfort in the room for some when they were asked to tell the scene in their drawings. In the conversation after that piece, I heard that concern about "doing it right." One woman had drawn a picture of a "womb filled with gold." In the story, I had said "room filled with gold." I had a cold and so did she, so she heard "womb." What a wonderful image! Even mis-hearings can further the work. As we moved into telling from a first person perspective and they began to "get" that whatever come up was good and interesting and that they could freely put their own perspective and spin on the story, thier reluctance began to fade. The conversation after included coments about discomfort with the story itself - why we tell these stories of evil and violence to children. I had Bettleheim's The Uses of Enchantment on the bibliography, and we also talked about having clients rewrite the ending. I told a modern version that Allison Cox shared with me from one of Jack Zipes' books in which when Rumplestiltskin asks for the promise of her child, the miller's daughter says "Are you crazy? I'll never marry this king or give up my child." He stamps his foot in a fury, the door opens and she runs out and doesn't look back. When I asked them to journal, any remaining resistance seemed to disappear. This group was clearly much more comfortable writing than drawing or speaking. They lept right into the writing and the sharing after that had great insights on how this story might connect to their work. One woman said she started off trying to "humanize" Rumplestiltskin, to defend him, but then came to sympathy with the miller's daughter about having to accept help she didn't want for a situation she didn't want to be in. She drew connections with her clients, having to come for help or advice from a social worker who was often much younger than themselves. In final conversation, I briefly went over just what was in the handouts, and also talked about using shorter "wisdom tales" in addition to folktales like Rumplestiltskin. In the handouts, I included a short bibliography with anumber of books on the therapeutic use of story, books of stories, on storytelling and the HSA website. I gave them Cristy West's handout on the benefits of storytelling in therapeutic settings, and Allison Cox's article from the HSA newsletter on telling at a juvenile detention facility. I strongly suggested they check out the website, especially the forum, and that they join this listserv. In some ways, this group might have found it more obviously useful if we had worked with short wisdom tales, but I wanted them to have an experience of story that wasn't just intellectually interpretive. I didn't get to see the evaluation forms, but the verbal feedback was very positive. Thanks for all of your support and help. Gail Rosen | ||