I had come into the course with expectations/goals to gain facilitation tools and not only were they met, but in experiencing and trusting the process as a participant, I had gained confidence that I could affect change as a therapist, and so gained trust in myself.

I enjoyed that I was able to learn through experiencing the process as a group member and then make the link to the theory. Learning as a part of the group provided a deeper insight into the impact of the Interactive Group Model, which helped me trust the process by experiencing the dynamic, change and healing first hand. As a participant, I went through initial mixed nervousness, anxiety as well as feelings of excitement. Initially I felt overly aware of others. However, through the activities and facilitation, I experienced how I became more comfortable and started to trust the group process and how impactful the uncomfortable or silent moments can be, when allowed. It was beautiful to access the experience of the facilitators in how relevant the activities were and how they adapted to, and flowed with, the needs of the group.

Two significant take aways about the interactive group model were the group as a microcosm and the “here and now” concept. It was encouraging to watch Louise, observe, and through asking the right questions, she guided me to self-awareness and to reflect how a situation that happened during an activity had affected me and how I responded in return. This then helped me communicate my process to the group members which could be implemented in the following activity sessions. With respect to the group as a microcosm. the understanding that group members represent a slice of society, and how people behave in society will manifest in the group, was significant. I realized that affecting social and behavioural change in the here and now during the group process then enabled these changes to be more easily carried over into society.