NC聚叙醉
最新一期聚會
日期：*下次活動日期待定*
時間：下午二時至四時
地點：觀塘翠屏道3號 基督教家庭服務中心 705 室
主題：Religion (Faith) and Narrative Therapy (How does it view it differently from Dominant Culture)
主持： Vinnice Lam
嘉賓：Magus Tarot (talk: Tarot and NT)
第一期聚會
日期：25/8/2018 (六)
時間：下午二時至四時
地點：藍田啟田道71號藍田西社區中心4樓
主題：Response and re-authoring, plus sharing on any interesting topics related to Narrative Practice
主持：Andy Sham
嘉賓：Jenny Cheng (talk: Suicide case and NT)
Sharing from one of the members, Anita Cheung
This is the first gathering and will be monthly to let people who believe in NT gather to exchange ideas, discuss matters related to NT, share thoughts and support each other as a community.
Working with Christian Family Service Centre, we got the chance to serve the youths of primary and secondary school. We started the gathering by understanding the mission and activities of CFSC, followed by the sharing of the 2 recent visits to the schools by Winsie and Jenny
We also discussed how the views on the recent suicidal news would be different with NT.
Below are some of my takeaways and reflections.
1. Interesting sharing of the responses of students in the activity
- Secondary students were not very active in sharing their answers to the questions on small cards at the very beginning. When one of the students was invited to draw a card and asked to share her thoughts as per the question on that card, that student shared her thoughts and then the others added on. Mostly they talked about their wish for meeting their Korean idols. With further understanding on their thoughts, their feelings of helplessness on their studies, not much they could do about placing their own football goal, problems regarding studies are not solvable, etc. were explored.
- Primary students surprised us that they could understand the questions we put on small cards. When they were asked about their dream jobs, one of the students answered that he wanted to be a hacker. All other students laughed right away. Andy asked others why they laughed. This has made me reflect how I might respond at that moment. Asking that student further might then put the focus on that student with his dream job being asked further and might not respond to the others’ laughing. Asking others why they laughed has pulled away the focus to others’ laughing and the view on being a hacker, instead of drilling on that one student. This way in handling the group and discussion created more room for discussion and engage the group in a more dynamic way. This also made me think of relating back to NT. Without thinking the student being different (problematic) for wishing to be a hacker, we are curious to know why the other students laughed about the wish of being a hacker.
2. The recent news of Ellen Joyce Loo (盧凱彤) committing suicide
The recent news of Ellen Loo committing suicide was brought up as a personal sharing by J who have discussed this with a group of friends. Some of her friends thought that if Ellen was one of their friends, there should be a chance that they could talk her through and prevent her from committing suicide. J held another viewpoint that the person with bipolar disorder may not be able to listen or take what others said to her and what others can do is to accompany her as a companion only. They argued with their own viewpoints. Andy initiated the discussion in the meeting by asking what the viewpoints from the perspective of NT would be. Someone thought that Elle has died and nothing could be done to change the fact. What we discussed was a question for ourselves what we would do if we had a friend who had bipolar/depression/manic disorder. Someone thought that any discussion here was only 事後孔明 as the person has already died. Andy said respecting the person who has died was the most important as we did not know the thoughts and feelings of the person before she committed suicide. He said that as long as we thought in this way, then all were 拆曬 and nothing needed to be discussed. During the discussion, I spoke nothing…was it same as “nothing needed to be discussed”? I kept thinking about the discussion. Why didn’t I say anything? Was my viewpoint same as any of those raised in the meeting? Was my viewpoint NT or I needed adjustment? Ellen has died and nothing discussed could help the incidence. I figured out that this was the reason why I seldom discuss with others on this kind of incidences. Also, I think all cases are unique and individual, nothing can be generalized. However, I think willing to discuss or taking the initiative to discuss is good as this shows one’s regards for the matter. The discussion will be one’s awareness and concern of what one will do when someone around encounters the same situation. This is also a response to things happened in our surroundings which we have discussed in classes before and this attitude is essential for us being counsellors.
Besides, Mark has shared his experiences of handling his brother who also had the mood disorder. I found what he shared was more meaningful and more for my own reflection. He raised the point that it was hard but it was important that we imposed less of our viewpoints and thoughts on people with mood disorder, tried to understand them and walked with them with patience and love.
3. Conversation with a recovered SARS patient
Andy shared his experience of a conversation with a recovered SARS patient. This is an interesting and helpful sharing for inexperienced professional helpers in dealing with cases. It was about a recovered SARS patient who have Avascular Necrosis (骨枯) due to the medicine applied for SARS. He was in despair about life. Andy sensed that he was going to commit suicide after knowing his name. When he asked Andy what his name was, what response Andy should give to handle the situation was the question asked to the group. Andy did not mention how he responded. I really would like to learn from his experience so I asked after the meeting. What he did was not something I could think of myself even I tried to think out of the box. Case sharing was always helpful to inexperienced counsellors. Andy responded by asking him what was so important to him for knowing his name? What was meaning and value behind and when he started having these thoughts…this has likely made the man think about the change in him which has brought him to where he was today and also carried the conversation to a deeper level.
4. NT as a therapy?
The meeting was wrapped up with a sharing by Spencer. Spencer has attended Andy’s beginner class 2 times. He realized his gains from the 2 times were different even the materials he listened in the classes were the same. Also, he shared an experience from his personal trip to Japan. During the trip, he has bought a bottle of wine for re-selling to earn some money because of the influence of his group. After some time and thoughts, he realized that this action of buying the bottle of wine for re-selling to earn some money was not something he would do without the influence of the group. He would not do this for being himself. The more he immersed himself in NT, the more he realized that NT was not a therapy but a philosophy of life.
Although the meeting was not long and was intended to be once a month, it does facilitate the exchange of ideas and viewpoints among a group of people who practice NT or simply believe in NT. This kind of exchange among professional helpers is helpful especially for inexperienced ones so they can learn from the experienced ones and keep reflecting along the way. I found this 1st gathering fruitful in inspiring me thoughts I would not have gained without participating in it. These thoughts do not just stop there and makes me keep thinking and reflecting who I am, and what my viewpoints and thoughts are which I think these are essential for me to continue to pursue the path of a certified counsellor.