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Practising tools and exercises
SAID ALOUD
Practising tools and exercises
Aim . To learn and practise tools and exercises that will make survivors feel stronger and help them to control their thoughts , body , breathing , feelings and heart .
PART II : THE TRAINING
Trainer . In effect , the Butterfly Woman must tell her body , and her thoughts , feelings , breathing and heart , that she is safe , that her trauma is over . She is a survivor . When she and a helper look at Figure 5 together ( The Butterfly Woman gradually healing ) and talk about the resources they can draw on , they are finding their way towards the healing process . The Butterfly Woman will begin to develop small plans of her own . She will remember skills and resources and strengths that she had . She will look for new tools to help her manage her life and feel supported in what she does . She will feel that she belongs , that she is no longer alone . She may feel that she is important to the other women who have survived , perhaps to all the women of the world who are overcoming injustice and violence .
For the rest of this session , and tomorrow , we will learn and practice tools that help survivors to stabilise themselves , using the five senses .
Do you remember when the Butterfly Woman had a flashback at the hospital ? She was overwhelmed by fear and wanted to flee .
We are going to see what we can say and do , both to help survivors calm themselves when their memories overwhelm them , and to wake themselves up when they lack energy . As helpers , we should practise these skills with the survivor . We also need to check whether the survivor feels different and better afterwards . As in all cultures , we must adapt what we do to our culture . And , since every person is unique , we need to make the tools and exercises as helpful as possible by adapting them to the needs of each survivor .
[ The Trainer writes down five guiding questions .] To discover the effects of these techniques , we can ask these guiding questions :
• What happens in your body ?
• What happens to your feelings ?
• What happens to your breathing ?
• What happens to your thoughts ?
• What happens in your heart ?
BREAK 15 – 20 MINUTES .