Leaders Guide

STORY-TELLING INFUSED WITH MULTI-MODAL LEARNING
Curriculums in spiritual care groups rely heavily on cognitive verbal reflection, a modality that is normative in the field of pastoral care. Since mental illness, neuro-atypicalness, and medication affect Behavioral Health patients’ cognitive verbal skills, some participants are unable to fully participate in this particular modality. Therefore, the curriculum that I have developed invites spiritual care group facilitators to expand their skillsets beyond the default (“normative”) modality - the use of cognitive verbal reflections. Central to my curriculum is the integration of music (community singing), wisdom stories (story-telling), journaling, art, body movement, and breathing/silence, so that participants have the opportunity to holistically engage and process their spirituality within a neurodiverse context.

Below is a guide for each spiritual care group session that I lead, which is structured around a story. Feel free to use or adapt the guide in your particular context. I utilize Godly Play® (aka Spirit Play) storytelling method to share wisdom stories as a way to invite participants to reflect about their lived experience. Influenced by the Montessori-based approach to learning, Jerome Berryman (the founder of the Godly Play® storytelling modality) valued the participants' capacity to articulate their inner wisdom and insight into the story. As opposed to pouring in knowledge (the "banking concept of education" per Paulo Freire), the pedagogical approach in Godly Play® is to draw out the inner wisdom and insight that is already in each participant. The Godly Play® storyteller's role is to support the participant's work of articulating insights and making connections - the mirroring of one's inner life into the story. The story box (which contains materials and representations) enables the listener to connect with the story in a tangible way. To see trained storytellers do the Godly Play® methodology of storytelling, go to the Godly Play® youtube website.

THE POWER OF WISDOM STORIES
When life throws a struggle or crisis in our life path (which in spiritual terms one might call "a storm to weather through", "a desert to traverse," a darkness to wait in"), most of the time we are like deer caught in a headlight, feeling shock and numb, feeling overwhelmed, disempowered and helpless. Giving the struggling person the opportunity to creatively name their crisis, puts the power back to the person experiencing the rough terrain. Instead of keeping the experience nameless, one is able to name that experience. Thus, mythologies with spiritual themes are fabulous tools to reflect about our inner lives and struggles. The wisdom stories that I have compiled are stories about transformation: the human journey from darkness to light, from death to resurrection, from being lost to being found, from disorientation to some clarity, from chaos to stillness, from despair to hope, from emptiness to meaning & purpose, from dis-ease towards healing. It gives the person feeling lost and disoriented to map themselves in the endless cycle of ups and downs of life. It gives the person in crisis the mental and emotional space to see the bigger picture, a lens with a much wider perspective, instead of a very narrow, reactive and blind-spot-laden lens to view one's experience. To see the archetypal themes and patterns that I have utilized in my support groups, feel free to check this blog. In the world of counseling and psychotherapy, therapists use parallel therapeutic tools, such as . . .

bibliotherapy
poetry therapy
story therapy
narrative therapy
articles on Joseph Campbell's work on mythology:

If you are curious about what science has to say about storytelling, here are some articles on the topic:

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GODLY PLAY MATERIALS
When leading spiritual care groups in BH, Presbyterian Hospital chaplains may use the Godly Play materials in my office. If you are not from Presbyterian Hospital, you may purchase Godly Play materials (Parable of the Leaven, the Great Pearl, the Good Samaritan, the Good Shepherd, the Sower, the Mustard Seed, the Deep Well) from the Godly Play website. For the rest of the other stories listed below (under "List of Wisdom Stories"), I recommend you create your own Godly/Spirit Play materials (these stories include: Brother Bear, Warrior & the Monk, The Fish Searching the Ocean, Punchinello, The Cracked Jar, Calming the Stormy Sea, Rowing into the Stormy Sea, the Butter & the Milk, the Dragon & the Healer, and others).

session structure

story list

ARCHETYPAL themes

tips - embracing neurodiversity

wisdom story blog

learning modules

EXPERIENCE NOT OPINIONS

MUSIC

This link above will give you more information on how I frame music & singing as a learning modality in spiritual care support group facilitation. It also has links to articles on the scientific research on the relationship of music and mental health.

Tools for Facilitators (PDF & Video Resources)
Spiritual Care facilitators in whatever context are welcome to use the resource materials attached here (in PDF). This page is a work in progress, and I am slowly posting videos of me telling the story (specifically, non-parable ones) to model for facilitators how I tell the story using Godly Play / Spirit Play method.
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Mindful Breathing Exercises: When appropriate I integrate a brief breathing exercise (3 min) in the beginning of the session, some of which I lead myself; sometimes I use a projector and play the video on a screen, and l invite the participants to follow the instructor in the video.
Possible prompts for introductions & check-in: (a) Heart Weather, (b) Rock & Water - aka highs & lows, (c) Holy Listening Stones, (d) Avatar the Last Airbender, + Elements Circle (e) The 4 Seasons - Quadratos, (f) Growth of Seeds - Quadratos, (g) Slide Pic for the Elements; Breathing Guide; (h) Wonderings; (i) Seed Growth Circle; (j) Blackfoot wisdom
Script for Introducing the Wisdom Story: Please adapt the script for your particular context.
Spiritual Care Plan (*vertical): This handy worksheet helps participants to narrow down actions that they can commit to that will help them in their journey towards healing. This reflection sheet will go well with most of the stories listed (seeds, leaven, great pearl, butter in milk, mustard seed, labyrinth, deep well, etc).
Closing ritual with candle
Potential nature backgrounds: Mountain River#1, Mountain River#2, Waterfall#1, Waterfall#2, Mountain Stream, Mount Rainier, Mount St Helens#1, Mount St Helens#2, Mountain Lake, Tropical Beach; Fire in the Canyon; Flowery Meadow; Meadow; Bright Green Meadow; Stream; Hawaaian Beach; Creek with flowers
Songs

Leader's Guide