"A BrOTs World"

I recently attended a Al-Alon groups meeting on 3-5-18 with one of my classmates. This group was meant specifically for those who had family members struggling with different types of substance abuse. The experience was not easy to listen to. Hearing real struggles and issues that are a daily occurrence for some was very eye opening, and allowed me to put things into perspective when dealing with my own life. The role of the group facilitator included keeping the group members motivated and actively participating.  She seemed very approachable as well as keen on making sure every one felt welcome and that everyone felt they could speak freely. She was very honest and began the group by giving her own testimony which really opened the floor in my opinion for others to feel comfortable while discussing their own stories. In my opinion I would say that this group was built on the expectation that it would be more of a support group more than anything else. It's a safe heaven for tho

Being able to meet with other classmates to discuss different ideas about way to approach our respected groups was very beneficial. It reminded me a lot of what we did when we facilitated with others on our first group leading experience. However, it was a little different because we each had different topics. I liked it better like this because we all didnt have the same thing to say or same ideas. I believe doing this leadership summit is very helpful as well as important because we will be doing the same style of meeting with our coworkers the rest of our careers as well as people in other professions. Being able to work well with others as well as knowing how to learn from others can be very important in out profession. By simulating this experience they way we did, we are able to gain more knowledge thanks to a potential colleague, plus learn more about ourselves in the sense of how well we work with others and how well we can learn from others. I believe that we should continue t

Today I facilitated a group over successfully managing medication. I found this experience to be very beneficial. As I stated previously, I will be going to Alaska for my first level 2 rotation. This rotation is a Mental Health rotation where I will be required to lead multiple groups. My nervousness and excitement have made this class such a blast and roller coaster. I have been trying to take as many notes as possible to be prepared once I arrive.  And in my opinion facilitating these groups has been the most beneficial thing i could of done for myself to prepare. Breaking down each component of the group aspect really helps you see everything that is in play during one session. Being able to co-lead a group first was awesome because there was less pressure and you were able to experience something new and different together. The second time through facilitating on your own is a little bit different but just as exciting. Already having done so once in a group has also greatly incr

Article Title: Wellness works: community service health promotion  groups  led by  occupationaltherapy  students. Brief Summary: During a Groups Process course, occupational therapy students learned health promotion skills through working on personal wellness goals and leading community based health promotion groups. The  groups  targeted topics such as smoking cessation, improving diet, reducing stress through yoga, meditation, tai chi chuan, ROM (Range of Motion) Dance, aerobics, and a variety of other activities. Students monitored their own change  process  on both their personal health lifestyle goals and their  group  leadership skills while developing a richer appreciation of the dynamics of working for change with clients in community and traditional settings. This experience was said to have provided most students with a positive initial experience with  group  leadership as they began to explore roles as agents for lifestyle and health change. Suggestio

Today, Chelsea, Gracie, and I facilitated a group over time management skills. I found this experience to be very beneficial and ironic. We actually all three, after selecting the topic of time management, forgot to do our rough draft until the day before its due date. However, this did not stop us, we stayed at school and worked until it was complete. I was actually very impressed with how well we came together and were able to make a great plan for our groups meeting. I really liked being able to do this because I know I will lead many groups during my fieldwork in Alaska and the more practice I get the more prepared I will be. I felt that we each equally delivered on this project. We were able to come together and decide on a plan that I believe flowed very well. My main take away from this experience was how it felt to actually be the leader, even if just in a simulation. It also made me very excited for the opportunity to actually lead a group in my up coming level 2 fieldwork.

For my last neuronote I decided to write about the book The Reason I Jump. I had to read this book for a SPED class in undergrad and decided to re-read portions that I had originally marked as reading it the first time. When I read this book it made me completely change my thought process about how those who have autism experience life. I never once stopped to think how they actually view life and everything around them. The book is an autobiography written by a 13-year-old boy from Japan about what it is like to live with autism. The way autistic people view the world is very different than the way we may perceive them to view the world. This disconnect between how we view and treat people with autism and how they actually view the world makes living with autism is even more difficult than it already is. The book really made me question who is actually different. I feel like his perspective on life is so much more pure than my own and so much more beautiful. My bigge