The Group Facilitator

Tammy Bar-On

What is the role of the group facilitator (Mwezeshji)?

•A facilitator is a guide (kuongoza) who help people move through a process together. •Facilitation focuses on HOW (jinsi) people participate in the process of doing something, not just on WHAT (nini) gets achieved.•For the facilitator, the people are important, not just the goal.

What does the facilitator do?

•Makes sure everyone feels comfortable participating.•Allows for everyone's ideas to be heard.•Helps people understand their selves through art therapy.

What does the facilitator do?

•Makes sure that the ideas and decisions are the group‘s. •Listening to the ideas and thoughts of the group members without judging. •Creates a safe place for members of the group. •Mahali salama

The facilitator makes some rulessheria

•Be on time.•One person speaks at a time.•Listen to what other people are saying.•No attacking other people's ideas.•Respect each other.

The facilitator asks him/herself:

•What do you want participants to experience from the group?

•What do you want participants to learn and/or experience from each other?

•Which art (art, music, movement, drama) is best for a specific goal?

The Group FacilitatorSummary

A facilitator is a guide. For the facilitator, the people are important.• Makes some rules.• Makes sure everyone feels comfortable.• Allows for everyone's ideas to be heard.• Creates a safe place for members of the

group.

•Goal: to experience something in the group and learn from each other.

Group facilitating skills-In order to lead a group the facilitator needs to have some basic skills. 1. listening 2. repeating (summarizing) 3. rephrasing 4. affirming

Repeating- kurudia

•Saying again the things that were said – but in a shorter way.

•Example – “I don’t know if I can go on like this, I like him, but he treats me badly”

•Repeating : •- “You’re not sure”•- “He treats me badly”

rephrasing•Saying the things that were said with different words, and perhaps revealing deeper meaning”

•Example – “I don’t know if I can go on like this, I like him, but he treats me badly”•Rephrasing : •- “you’re worried – where it might lead”•- “you don’t think that you deserve such behavior”

affirming•Finding positive things in what a person said and voicing them.

•Example – “I don’t know if I can go on like this, I like him, but he treats me badly”

•affirming : •- “it takes courage to speak about it as you have”

Example : “I can’t concentrate on my studies because of my mother’s illness”

Repeating : “it’s hard for you to

concentrate”

Rephrasing : “you’re afraid it might affect

your studies”

Affirming : “it’s not easy to continue in

such a situation, you show much strength”

What does a good facilitator

use in leading a group? •Voice•Eye contact•Body language•energy

Tools & skills to use in GROUP facilitating

• Tools :•1. listening – deep listening, trying to understand•2. repeating – making a short summary•3. rephrasing – exploring deeper meanings •4. affirming – voicing positive aspects of a person

•Be aware of the way you use :•Voice eye contact•energy body language