This week, we visited the EDAMH Peer Support Group to facilitate a session which would help people uncover their personal assets [we were interested in testing how the personal asset mapping approach would work in a group setting].
Prior to the session the group had been discussing the different types of activities that they each do to help them relax or that they use to help distract themselves. This was a really useful starting point to help people think about the types of things that they’d like to put on their map. The map itself seemed like a natural progression from this.
What was clear to see, was that the group were really comfortable with each other, and were supported well by the facilitators from EDAMH. This really helped people to think clearly and to share with one another their reflections of having created their map and what it had felt like to go through the process.
Some comments included:
“what I’ve put down is only the tip of the iceberg – there is so much more I could put down”
“There is more here than I thought”
“I’ve had a go… my map is a work in progress. I hope (and trust) that the next time I do it, it will look a bit different”
“its been good to write this down, I couldn’t think about it all in my head”
Everybody who participated in the group took their map away with them, and the facilitator noted that it could be revisited at a future group session. We asked the group if, and how, they would use their maps again, and the majority said that they would use it to reflect on how they were feeling at different points, and to record how they were getting on.
Thanks to Debra Reid and Julian Court from EDAMH and the friendly group that made us feel so welcome. We hope you found the session as useful as we did, and that you all have success receiving and giving complements gracefully over the next week or so!!