Wisdom Stories Through Godly/Spirit Play: Facilitating Spiritual Care Groups
A Holistic Approach: Employing Diverse Modalities to Support Participation and Increase Inclusivity
While my work in spiritual care (as a chaplain) is with mental health patients in Behavioral Health, my approach and the accompanying curriculum in facilitating spiritual care groups is applicable in diverse contexts: senior care facilities, congregations, education/school, camps, and spiritual retreats. My particular methodology has been influenced by my experiences leading and facilitating groups in diverse contexts over many years: with kids/youth, adults with dementia, coaching in athletics, and teaching students in academic settings. In my spiritual care groups, I strive for inclusivity: a holistic approach of mind, body, spirit. My goal is to invite and empower participation from patients with diverse learning styles, personality types, energy levels, ages, backgrounds, diagnosis and levels of functionality by diversifying modalities of participation in my groups. Hence, in addition to making space for cognitive reflection through verbal sharing and reflection, I also include singing, musical instruments, readings, journaling, visual art, sculpture, body movement, meditative gestures, guided meditation, breathing and silence. This diversity of modalities allows participants to choose to participate in activities that match their ability, affinity, and comfort level. A key component of a holistic approach is my belief in the power of symbols, metaphor and rituals in multivalent meaning-making, allowing the participant to tap into the affective dimension of the human healing journey. See this bibliography link on the importance of integrating spiritual care in mental health services. |
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4-Part Structure of the Session
I arrange the space in a circle, and set up a small sacred altar (cloth, candle and a bell) at the center. The flow of the 1 hour session usually has the sequence outlined below. For a fuller explanation of how I shape the spiritual care sessions and the curriculum, feel free to view my learning modules. Here's a my blog on tools & tips in facilitating BH support groups.
A. OPENING (15-20 min)
B. WISDOM STORY (20-25 min)
C. THE WORK (10 min)
This part of the session is up to you as a facilitator to decide whether you want to do, or not do. In my groups, my decision to include (or exclude) "the work" depends on the group dynamics:
The Talkative Group
If the group tends to be talkative, I generally skip this section. Right after the end of the session, I hand the worksheets to the patients to work on their own. I also tell them that if they want to process the spiritual theme in depth, they may request a 1-on-1 visit with me (*they may also request a 1-on-1 visit to talk about whatever they wish to talk about). Whatever they decide, I invite them to hold on the reflection sheets so that they can reflect on the theme in the future after they are discharged when they are not struggling as much. Common among the worksheets is a page called the Spiritual Care Plan (*vertical version): This handy worksheet helps participants to narrow down actions that they can commit to that will help them in their journey towards healing.
If/when I decide to skip the worksheets and continue the conversation, the discussion usually includes the following:
A. Invite participants to name their lived experience using themes/metaphors from the wisdom story.
B. Invite participants to name their deep values (deep needs, yearnings or hopes).
C. Brainstorming actions (positive coping tools) that help them move towards their goal.
The Low Functioning Group
A. If the group is low functioning (minimal talking or do not talk at all), worksheets and art activities are good options.
B. Sometimes I lead a long song related to the spiritual theme, and do a brief informal lectio divina to talk about the lyrics of the song composer.
D. CLOSING. (5-10 min)
*Community Art: A few of the wisdom stories gives participants to be join a simple "community art" using an illustration board. See the "Parable of the Sower," "The Sea of Life." I do this activity 15 min before the end of the session.
I arrange the space in a circle, and set up a small sacred altar (cloth, candle and a bell) at the center. The flow of the 1 hour session usually has the sequence outlined below. For a fuller explanation of how I shape the spiritual care sessions and the curriculum, feel free to view my learning modules. Here's a my blog on tools & tips in facilitating BH support groups.
A. OPENING (15-20 min)
- Briefly explain what the group is all about and share the role of a chaplain, and the purpose of the session (including a working definition of spirituality). Explain the activities in the session which includes listening to a wisdom story and reflect together on a spiritual theme.
- Welcome Song
- Invite everyone to share their name, their pronouns, and share a bit about themselves using one of these check-in tools: (a) Heart Weather Check In (b) Rock & Water - aka highs & lows, (c) Holy Listening Stones, (d) Avatar the Last Airbender, + Elements Circle, (e) The 4 Seasons - aka Quadratos
- Ring the bell for 3 deep breaths, or Play the Native Flute
B. WISDOM STORY (20-25 min)
- Hearing a wisdom story (click on the Wisdom Story List for a list of wisdom stories that I use in my spiritual care groups)
- Sharing our wonderings & reflections. Levels of Meaning Making: In terms of finding meaning, it is important to have full flexibility on how participants draw out meaning from the wisdom story. (1) It is worth noting that sometimes participants may not find any meaning at all, and that's OK (in Godly Play we say, "Sometimes a wisdom story is hard to open, and that is OK because you could always come back to it at a later time until that story opens up to you"). (2) If participants are unable to articulate some meaning in a story, they may simply name an image, word, or phrase (or archetypal theme/metaphor) that resonates with them; this is akin to an informal Lectio Divina (3) If participants articulate theological connections, the intent of the group is to allow a plurality of interpretations. Nuance, multiple meanings, multivalence, and multidimensionality are central exegetical values in spiritual care support groups. To get a sense of how to facilitators lead "Wondering Questions" in Godly Play, go to the Godly Play youtube channel to see teachers model the methodology of wondering reflections.
- Ring the bell once for brief silence to take 3 deep breaths.
- Lead a spiritual reading on the theme (poem, or prose) OR lead a song related to the story's theme. As a musician, I usually choose the latter.
C. THE WORK (10 min)
This part of the session is up to you as a facilitator to decide whether you want to do, or not do. In my groups, my decision to include (or exclude) "the work" depends on the group dynamics:
The Talkative Group
If the group tends to be talkative, I generally skip this section. Right after the end of the session, I hand the worksheets to the patients to work on their own. I also tell them that if they want to process the spiritual theme in depth, they may request a 1-on-1 visit with me (*they may also request a 1-on-1 visit to talk about whatever they wish to talk about). Whatever they decide, I invite them to hold on the reflection sheets so that they can reflect on the theme in the future after they are discharged when they are not struggling as much. Common among the worksheets is a page called the Spiritual Care Plan (*vertical version): This handy worksheet helps participants to narrow down actions that they can commit to that will help them in their journey towards healing.
If/when I decide to skip the worksheets and continue the conversation, the discussion usually includes the following:
A. Invite participants to name their lived experience using themes/metaphors from the wisdom story.
B. Invite participants to name their deep values (deep needs, yearnings or hopes).
C. Brainstorming actions (positive coping tools) that help them move towards their goal.
The Low Functioning Group
A. If the group is low functioning (minimal talking or do not talk at all), worksheets and art activities are good options.
B. Sometimes I lead a long song related to the spiritual theme, and do a brief informal lectio divina to talk about the lyrics of the song composer.
D. CLOSING. (5-10 min)
- Sharing of "take aways," or gratitudes, or perhaps intentions, hopes, yearnings (Closing Ritual with Candle)
- Closing Song, such as "Go Now in Peace." (However, I usually pick a short song that's related to the spiritual theme).
*Community Art: A few of the wisdom stories gives participants to be join a simple "community art" using an illustration board. See the "Parable of the Sower," "The Sea of Life." I do this activity 15 min before the end of the session.
Recommended Resources for Spiritual Care Groups
Here are links to resources that I recommend in the work of facilitating spiritual care groups:
(1) Working with Groups on Spiritual Themes: Structured Exercises in Healing (by Hopkins, Kelley & Bentley)
(2) Weekly Spiritual Practice (by Robert Flaherty)
(3) A Guide to Leading Spirituality Support Groups in Behavioral Health Care Settings (created by Rabbi Elisa Goldberg).
(4) Spiritual Care Activities for Children/Young People in hospital
(5) Spiritual Play - check out different presentation slides on the topic
(6) Conversations by the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab: "Transformative Practices for Group Processing in Spiritual Communities"
(a) Trauma-Informed Facilitation
(b) The Art of Confession in Group Processing
(7) Group Art Project, AND Comprehensive List of Art Activities by Gloria Mahin; Art & Journaling by Maritza Parra
(8) Music & Song - includes articles on research about how music affects grief/mental health
(9) On Rituals - Podcast with Lisa Schirch
(9) Spiritual Readings - a brief article on the use of poetry in spiritual care
(10) Mindful / Meditative Physical Gestures
(11) "Your Aesthetic Brain: A Growing Case for the Arts" (Article on the interconnections between the arts & healing)
(12) Arts in Medicine (University of Florida)
(13) What is Arts in Health? (University of Florida)
(14) Annotated Bibliography: The Evidence-Based Importance of Integrating Spiritual Care and Mental Health Responses
(15) Peacebuilding & the Arts: Rethinking Peace & Conflict Studies
(16) The Embodied Poetry of Ritual and Symbol in Transformative Space (excellent conversation on the topic of sacred space)
(17) Trauma-Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement (reflections on the limitations of "trauma-informed" framework)
Here are links to resources that I recommend in the work of facilitating spiritual care groups:
(1) Working with Groups on Spiritual Themes: Structured Exercises in Healing (by Hopkins, Kelley & Bentley)
(2) Weekly Spiritual Practice (by Robert Flaherty)
(3) A Guide to Leading Spirituality Support Groups in Behavioral Health Care Settings (created by Rabbi Elisa Goldberg).
(4) Spiritual Care Activities for Children/Young People in hospital
(5) Spiritual Play - check out different presentation slides on the topic
(6) Conversations by the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab: "Transformative Practices for Group Processing in Spiritual Communities"
(a) Trauma-Informed Facilitation
(b) The Art of Confession in Group Processing
(7) Group Art Project, AND Comprehensive List of Art Activities by Gloria Mahin; Art & Journaling by Maritza Parra
(8) Music & Song - includes articles on research about how music affects grief/mental health
(9) On Rituals - Podcast with Lisa Schirch
(9) Spiritual Readings - a brief article on the use of poetry in spiritual care
(10) Mindful / Meditative Physical Gestures
(11) "Your Aesthetic Brain: A Growing Case for the Arts" (Article on the interconnections between the arts & healing)
(12) Arts in Medicine (University of Florida)
(13) What is Arts in Health? (University of Florida)
(14) Annotated Bibliography: The Evidence-Based Importance of Integrating Spiritual Care and Mental Health Responses
(15) Peacebuilding & the Arts: Rethinking Peace & Conflict Studies
(16) The Embodied Poetry of Ritual and Symbol in Transformative Space (excellent conversation on the topic of sacred space)
(17) Trauma-Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement (reflections on the limitations of "trauma-informed" framework)
