Constrain of life and creativity: Online group work
Due to epidemia, we are not able to meet as group. In order to maintain social solidarity, physical distancing, and group bonding, we tried to be connected to each other through internet with some uncertainty. I did this suggestion with some curiosity and anxiety. Will it possible to do a group work through virtual world? how can we feel the field and doing body work in different places ?
To my surprise, when we entered into the virtual field, a sensation of entering into an unity of opposites - physical distancing - intimate place (go into bedrooms of group members through internet). In fact, this created a reflection in us on trust, intimacy and self-growth. Our readiness of being opened to others is linked with our experience to be unconditioning accepted. The fact of allowing others to enter into our bedroom is a sign of trust that enhance more intimate exchanges.
Furthermore, being in a familiar place enables to feel safer and more relax, enhance our bodily sensations. A member shared that this is the first time she felt strongly her body sensations and felt relax when I suggested them to move their bodies with awareness of the gazes of others. The experiment allowed them to feel the freedom to be themselves in front of others after the discussion of acceptance.
The centering exercise enable me to focus on the bodily experience in here-and-now, reduce the anxiety of not able to handle complexity of group through internet, and trusting my sensate experiences to attune and resonate with others' bodily experiences. As describe by Clements (2011, p.41), "If we fully abandon the myth of objectively observing to include our own
sensate experience in response/relation to our clients, we can practice psychotherapy as a mutually embodied interactive dance. By learning t0 attend to this mutual dance and the relational and developmental themes that emerge from it, we can provide a forum for connection and reparation."
Clemmens, M. (2011). The Interactive Field: Gestalt Therapy as an Embodied Dialogue. In Bar-Yoseph Levine, T. (ed.), Gestalt Therapy: Advances in Theory and Practice (pp. 39 –48). London: Routledge.
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