prior to changing the channel or color.
Observations
The sensory register is associated with our senses—seeing (visual), hearing (auditory), moving (kinesthetic), feeling (tactile), and smelling (olfactory). The sensory register is involved in memories that last briefly, perhaps a few seconds or a few minutes, but are then forgotten. This activity was performed twice, once with a group of thirty-five and once with a group of twenty-two. With the larger group, it was markedly more difficult to engage the group, and several participants were unable to maintain the focus on sense and/or color. In the group of twenty-two, there was a greater awareness of the categorical designations and effort to comply with rotations. In the days following the activity, several women from the smaller group reported they had adapted the process into a bedtime relaxation exercise.
Inspired by: Childhood games with siblings.
Sensory Exercise HANDOUT
1. Think about:
Your current surroundings
Your memories
Your imagination
What is in your future?
2. Using one sensory modality:
Sight
Hearing
Smell
Touch
Taste
Temperature
3. Using one color:
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
Brown
Black
Gray
White
Clear
“Experience is the only teacher.”
MILTON H. ERICKSON
Story of Your Name
Location: Indoors
Time: 45 minutes
Materials: Blank name tags
Plastic sleeves for tags
Markers
Construction paper or craft paper
Stationery
Optional: envelopes, stamps
Objectives
• To strengthen one’s sense of self-identity in a positive way.
Directions
1. Have participants decorate a wearable name tag.
2. Direct participants to write a letter of appreciation to someone who was involved in naming them. This could be their mother, whomever they were named after, or perhaps someone who has made them feel good about their name in the past.
3. Ask participants to address the group with a short presentation about his or her name. In the presentation, participants should describe if they were named after someone or have a nickname and reflect on the suitability of the given name.
Observations
This activity was done in a group of thirty-seven. Most replaced the plain standard issue name tags with brightly decorated, cheerful tags. Writing letters was an optional activity but turned out to be the most appreciated segment of the session. These letters may be mailed or not, as appropriate for each group member. In the presentation segment, many read the letters of appreciation they had written. Contents of the letters ranged from, “I never told you before about how proud I am to be named after you” to “Thank you for choosing my name even though I go by my nickname.” Several people noted they had never let their aunts, who they were named after, know the kinship they felt. One woman was named after a stranger whom her mother met in the hospital and spoke good-naturedly about how unprepared for motherhood her mother must have felt at the time. Many told family tales about combining names to come up with just the right sound. Several knew nothing about their name and were then encouraged to reflect on their own feelings. None of the women had negative comments about their names.
Inspired by: The women in treatment talking about the history of their own names.
“Start with who you are today and go from there.”
ROXANNA ERICKSON-KLEIN
Timelines
Location: Indoors (the area needs to have tables)
Time: 90 minutes
Materials: Rolls of newsprint paper (cut into approximately 60 inches per person)
Pens, markers, or colored pencils
Collage paper
Decorative materials
Magazines
Rulers
Scissors
Timelines Handout
Objectives
• To encourage participants to reflect on significant moments in their lives and begin to make connections or observe patterns.
• To identify cause and effect.
• To put life events (including substance abuse and mental health issues) into context and perspective.
Directions
1. Distribute Timelines Handout. Instruct participants to include positive or negative events. They should try to identify at least five or six life events that stand out to them. If participants have blank spots in their
