Page 47 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 18
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Development of the Emo�onal Recovery and Group Experiences
Interven�on in Adversity Program We have done parts of this program with sever-
Building on past group experiences both in pas- al groups.
toral as well as secular se�ngs, this program The first group was offered in English online.
was elaborated using basic informa�on about Half of the 12 par�cipants were therapists and
trauma and childhood adverse experiences (Fe- half were not. This was an incredibly diverse
li� et al: 1998), its impact and consequences as group. Six different languages were spoken by
well as the importance of healing the emo�o- different par�cipants: English, Spanish, Portu-
nal sequelae of such issues. Because these guese, German, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Se-
three exercises are easy to implement, and pro- veral were already involved with some form of
vide fast and safe results, the author integrated recovery groups: refugees, immigrants, grief re-
these topics regarding adverse experiences covery, men’s groups; and others wanted to
with the bilateral s�mula�on (Bu�erfly Hug) as start this kind of group.
a form of mul�plying the healing factor. Addi�- As a pilot project, the experience was very en-
onally, Biblical themes were brought in to em- lightening. We were able to see what worked
phasize God’s deep desire to see his crea�on well, and what needed fine-tuning. The most
walk in holiness.This resulted in six mee�ngs important takeaway was that we needed to se-
with prac�cal exercises for personal healing in parate the healing por�on of the program from
group se�ngs. The program also includes trai- the training program. This led to a second
ning facilitators who can go on to mul�ply �s group.
experience in their own church and groups A second group was in Brazil: we began an on-
se�ngs. line group called, Healing for the Heart, once a
month, where emo�onal recovery themes
The outline of the program is as follows: were presented, one of the exercises was im-
plemented, and the group was broken into
• Module 1: Do you want to be healed? John smaller groups for personal sharing.
5: 1-9. The Splinters of the Heart A third group (in Brazil) began for divorce reco-
very by virtue of many requests from hur�ng
• Module 2: Remember Lot’s Wife! Luke people in this situa�on. This was a group that
17:32 Trauma and its Consequences. met for 8 months, online, and specific themes
• Module 3: Pu�ng away childish things. I that dealt with divorce were brought to each
Cor. 13: 11. Adverse Childhood Experiences mee�ng.
(ACE) and their impact on adult life: why we A very interes�ng result in one of these encoun-
should care. ters had to do with the power of healing in sha-
ring.
• Module 4: Knowledge comes easily to the The seventh mee�ng we worked on the issue of
discerning: Proverbs 14:32 The fine art of children and divorce. Several had gone through
discernment and wisdom: When and how or were going through divorce and separa�on
to refer experiences but there were several women
who had not had children and, due to their age,
• Module 5: In a flash, in the twinkling of an probably would not have that experience. The
eye... and we will all be changed. 1 Cor ini�al results on a painful scale of zero to ten
15:52. The Flash Technique (SUDS – Subjec�ve Units of Disturbance Scale)
were very high: 8, 9 and 10. Using the Group
• Module 6: If one part suffers, every part flash Technique, the numbers came down to 4,
suffers with it... I Cor. 12:26. Angel Hug 5 and 6, a�er three rounds of the exercise in pe-
Group Protocol for Interven�on in Adversi- riod of about 15 minutes total. The par�cipants
�es. then went into small groups to share for appro-
ximately 45 minutes. As we wrapped up that
Eventually a seventh module was included night, the inquiry regarding their disturbance
where we taught the Pillars of Life exercise. about the children and divorce issue resulted in
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