Monthly Archives: May 2022

Managing challenging group dynamics can be difficult, but there are a number of different ways facilitators can handle challenging behaviors depending on several factors. It is important that the facilitator examines the situation carefully as each circumstance may require a different type of approach depending on the individual and/or group, the timing, personal or group sensitivity, if there is a sense of urgency, etc. In most circumstances, however, the facilitator can use the following strengths-based strategies: 1) NAME IT (the behavior) and 2) USE THE GROUP ...

I’ve been considered selfish in my lifetime and hard to work with, I’ve been called a bitch (I may have earned that one a few times), and as an adolescent, I followed through with a plan to take my own life. Just one of these behaviors is enough for some people to distance themselves. Luckily, I have had people in my life who have stuck by me. They gave me the support I needed to grow, to learn, and most importantly, they gave me multiple chances. I think about this when I’m working with families who are struggling, when I’m facilitating structured support groups for youth, and when I’m showing up for my friends and family.  How I show up is important to me. ...

Mother’s Day is around the corner and the nation is absorbing a reality in which 42 percent of Americans who can give birth will likely lose their reproductive freedom within the coming months. So how can we best honor our mothers this Sunday? Trust them. Believe them when they tell you they have a detailed understanding of the opportunities and limitations of their lives. They may be ...