Personal Reflection On The Experiential Activity Of A Group

In general, I did not feel that facilitating the group was as daunting as I was thinking it would be. Before the experiential portion of class, I was very nervous about how well I would manage as a group facilitator. I was afraid that I wouldn’t function properly and end up invalidating someone’s feelings, or making them feel embarrassed, and even embarrassing myself. However, when the activity started, I became less and less fearful of the process. I think that having a co-facilitator at that point definitely helped ease the anxiety of facilitation because I was able to work with another person and deflect to him for any time that I felt uncomfortable or needed assistance with a topic. Going into the experiential activity, my goal …show more content…
During the discussion, I picked up on a few behavioral cues that told me something was wrong. Then, a member of the group checked in on a fellow member and asked what was going on. This member started crying and have an emotional experience that may have otherwise been stifled if her fellow member didn’t ask about it. I could see that something was amiss, but I wasn’t confident that what I was seeing was accurate and so I did not ask. I felt that if I asked, and put the member on the spot, I could produce a negative reaction that may create anxiety about opening up and sharing within the group for the future. I knew that something wasn’t right, but I let my fear get the best of me and I backed down. That moment was my biggest learning experience. I also felt like I wasn’t being an effective facilitator because it took a member to notice what I should have noticed. That also made me feel less confident because my ego took a hit. I felt like the member who checked in with her fellow member had done the right thing, but also overstepped her bounds a bit. It’s a tough situation because had she not checked in, the other member’s experience might not have been discussed. However, at the same time, I felt like I was being overpowered by the member because it felt like she was saying “well you don’t know what’s going on here, but I do so I will take over” even though I know that was not the intention behind her action. Overall, I think the takeaway for me was that if I think something is going on, address it. I would much rather be wrong than have to deal with that internal conflict and power struggle