74 Day 3. The good helper revisited
TO THE TRAINER
PART II: THE TRAINING
Day 3. The good helper revisited
Aim: To explore further the qualities of a good helper.
Start the day by doing a grounding exercise.
GROUNDING EXERCISE
Grounding Exercise 3. Progressive release of muscular tension.
When you become anxious, your body tenses. This can lead to symptoms of pain in the shoulders, neck or back, in your jaw or your arms and legs. To train yourself to progressively release tension, intentionally increase the tension in specific muscular groups, then relax those muscles.
This grounding exercise is very useful to helpers who need to release the tension that has accumulated in their own bodies during a long working day!
TEACHING INSTRUCTION. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GOOD HELPER IN HER CONTEXT.
This discussion complements the one on pages 34-35. It can be shortened if you judge that the participants already have a good understanding of the helper’ s role.
Remind the participants of the good qualities of a helper. Then show Figure 6: The qualities of a good helper( II). This image was shared by counsellors working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Point out her different qualities. Starting with the heart, draw each element, one by one, and describe them to the group. Invite the participants to contribute. When you do, make sure that they include qualities and skills that they have been made aware of during the training. Expand on the original drawing.
It is important to show the helper’ s importance. She is a person who is safe and wise. What she does and how she behaves matter equally.
Figure 6. The qualities of a good helper( II).