To help yourself and others grieve losses and discover resilience practice the following 5 steps: Ackowledge, Assimilate, Appreciate, Allow New Awareness, Action.
If you are working in a group setting, as a group facilitator you set the tone for the group. Start by sharing your story, and then one-by-one- allow each member of the group to share as little or as much as he or she wishes. You will go around the circle 5 times--each time asking a different set of questions based on the themes listed below.
Remember to BREATHE. Breath while you are sharing and as as others share. Remind everyone to take a slow, soothing deep breath after each person finishes sharing. . . .Breath helps us integrate our experiences, come home to ourselves after listening to others, and allows us to embody our new awarenesses--to be present for ourselves and others--after each person shares.
1. Acknowledge
• ASK: Can you tell me what Happened? Is there more you would like to share?
2. Assimilate • ASK: How is that for you in your body? (notice if you have a lump in your throat, or a knot in your stomach. . . . In order to assimilate that feeling and let the stress that is held in the body release; remember to take a slow deep breath. Breathe in healing, and then as you exhale, just release the stress.
3. Appreciate-
• ASK: How are you feeling? Any feelings? What emotions are coming up now? When it comes to step number three, it is really important to have empathy and to normalize whatever feelings may emerge as people share about their experience of surviving the catastrophe.
4. Allow New Awareness
• ASK? Any Insights? What are you learning about yourself and the human condition? There is always a personal learning and a universal learning. Look for “How can you grow from this?” That question can help you create value from your experience. Or ask “What positive value can you glean from this?”
5. Action
• ASK: What can you do now to help heal yourself, and help others heal? Consider what can help your community needs to heal; and what you can do to help heal the environment and the Earth. Take an action step. Identify one thing you can do.
(Hedva, Spiritually Directed Therapy, 2006; by Beth Hedva, Ph.D.)
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