COL 60 Minutes Introduction (Option #2)
Participant handouts:
- COL Assessment
- Guide Book Part 3 -2 (Daily Check-in) and
- Guidebook Part 3 – 6 (Ear & Hand Charts)
Copies for me: Guidebook Part 1-2 Lifeboat
Part 1 – 9 (Phases)
Coach Manual –descriptions of 4 key powers 1, 6, 10, 14 (Page 16)
Circle Keywords (beginning of Coach manual)
TAKE: POSTERS of 15 powers, COL completed assessment
TAKE: Participant Guidebook for display
Part 1
20 minutes
Why I chose COL –
Holistic, strength based, group oriented model. Non-pathologizing. Not an expert based model where the coach is the “expert” … but draws on inner wisdom of participants + group resources. Coming from a counseling center, I have great respect for the process of therapy; at times, treatment is needed. However, it is also true that many people don’t need treatment but need support for moving forward with their lives; or, we go through a course of treatment and then keep hanging on to our therapist because we want support and we have become dependent on a professional being there to give us that support. • In COL groups, participants offer ideas, experiences and resources –no advice-giving, opinions, and judgments. The coach simply facilitates the process and keeps it on track. It’s more structured than a typical support group; it has a forward oriented focus. Sometimes in a support group for a particular issue, we get kind of “stuck” in telling our stories and we don’t move forward. We start to totally identify with our story (or our pathology) A COL group is Not about telling our stories…its about where do we want to go, and how do we get there? Its about taking control of our lives in a healthy way, letting go of the need for others to direct us OR to stay wrapped up in our stories of how we were hurt. If we’ve been hurt badly, most of us need therapy to heal. I certainly did. But after we reach certain point, we sense that we need something else ---COL offers that “something else”.
Starting from the center of the circle, on the COL poster
• it is a holistic process that addresses 12 areas of our lives
Briefly review 12 areas – give examples from about 6
• Self Care is the core essence of the Circle of Life. Taking care of ourselves is much more than “bubble baths!” and getting an occasional massage…
In COL we ask, how am I taking care of myself in regard to….(each aspect)
•The whole process is done in 6 Phases & is supported by 15 Powers
Refer to POSTER of 15 powers
Focus on 4 key powers – Self Inquiry, Intention, Fail-Safe System, Accountability
COL has Multiple Uses – for those of us who are in the helping professions, for our clients that need to make positive changes in their lives, and for anyone who wants to further develop or improve an area of their life. (who doesn’t!)
Part 220 minutes
Every aspect of our lives can either support the other aspects of our life
or can have a negative impact or drain other parts of our life. So if we are strong in one area, for example - Exercise - we can see that it could easily support us in the areas of Self Esteem or Healthcare.
•If we are being drained in an area of our life, it will also affect the whole. For example if you are deficient in the area of Finances, this can affect the other areas of your life such as Stress Mastery, Relationships and so on.
• So no matter what aspect of your life you decide to change it will
support other aspects of your life. (Give one example)
There are 6 phases to the process- I will very briefly go over them with you
Assess your life
Test readiness for change
Design your change (GREAT TOOL!!! Blueprint)
Plan Actions
Take Actions + Access Resources
Re-evaluate and Revise
Body Mind, or wellness practices, are incorporated into each session, and into your personal blueprint for change. Using these simple, yet powerful practices throughout the day can greatly diminish the effects of stress, heal our bodies, steady our emotions and recharge our batteries to be able to create the health and lives we want.
I’d like us to do a little bodymind practice right now so you can experience the “felt sense” of what we work with in the Circle.
Have group stand. DO:
DEEP BREATHING (belly breathing)
ARM SWING (encourage them to do as able)
BE SEATED-
LEAD- LIFEBOAT (visualization)
(after completion) Did anyone have an “ah-ha!”moment or a significant insight they would like to share? (*allow for two maximum)
Part 3 20 minutes
COL Assessment
We are doing to do just very brief COL assessment, which is part of what we would do in Phase 1 of this process. This is just to give you a sense of how it works.
Measure your satisfaction on a scale of 1-10 (refer to poster – colors. We will just draw line on each aspect of the circle to show where we are on the scale
When you are finished, flip your paper over and note your two top areas of strength.
WHEN FINISHED, ask them to Pair up.
Allow 8 minutes
Share with your partner about ONE of these two areas of strength.
What makes that aspect strength for you? Do you spend time with it? Value it? Prioritize it? How does that area of strength support other areas of your life?
(allow 5 minutes)
WHOLE GROUP: What happens to you when you speak about your strengths? What is your energy like?
CLOSE – In a circle group, you would share your strong areas – just as we did right now, but with some more detail, and you would choose one of your less developed areas to focus on. You would do an individual assessment on your “readiness for change” in this area of your life; determine if this is what you really want to focus on; change it if you need do; and then name that as your area of focus in the group for the first cycle of change.
I’ll be starting groups in the fall; they will be time limited (6 – 8 weeks). We will offer some “open Circle” groups at the Samaritan center, and we can also do them on-site at your organizations for staff or clients. You can also chose a COL series of sessions for an existing support group (or committee) that needs some “new life” injected into it. The great thing is that once you learn the process and have the guidebook, you have the tools you need to keep moving forward on your own, if you choose.