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12 Step

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 those struggling with addiction a well as for the loved ones of those suffering. I personally found this group to be very enlightening, not only for the actual group members but for myself as well. This all began due to the open dialogue the group leader set by being so intimate and honest about her own story. This openness and honesty became a major theme throughout the meeting. 
I truly believe this experience has opened the door for me as an OT to see how a real groups session is ran and it added in that extra bit of reality compared to what we did as a class in facilitating groups.

Comments

  1. OT2BEMarch 22, 2018 at 11:57 AM

    This is an experience that I would love to be able to participate in. I'm sure you got tons of insight into what addiction is like for those people struggling and made it easier to relate to them. We as OTs will most likely in our careers have to facilitate talk in a group setting like this and it sounds interesting to see how people in other careers facilitate discussion and get people to open up.

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