Engage the Group, Engage the Brain. Kay Colbert

you said “thank you” this week?

      Walk a Mile in My Shoes

      Location: Indoors (need tables or workspace)

      Time: 90 minutes

      Materials: Secondhand shoes of varioius styles (one shoe per person)

      Paint (water-based or acrylic)

      Large sheets of paper or cardboard (at least 12″ × 18″) or foamboard (one per person)

      Glue or glue sticks

      Scissors

      Collage materials, sequins, jewel shapes, glitter, feathers

      Optional: Speakers to play the song “Walk a Mile in My Shoes,” originally performed by Joe South and The Believers, or similar songs

      Objectives

       • To encourage participants to tell their life story.

       • To encourage unconditional self-acceptance.

      Directions

       1. Before the session, collect an assortment of used shoes—a variety of heels, flats, and athletic shoes based on the gender make-up of the group. They do not have to match or be wearable. Shoes can be purchased cheaply at garage sales, or secondhand stores might donate unusable pairs.

       2. Have participants select one base to use as a display board and one shoe.

       3. On the top of the paper, direct participants to write, If you walk in my shoes . . . followed by what others might not know about their lives or what others might not immediately see about their lives. Encourage participants to write about positive things as well as losses or struggles.

       4. Instruct participants to paint or decorate their shoe and attach it with glue to the display board.

       5. After everyone has finished, invite each participant to present his or her shoe and story to the group.

      Observations

      Women often prefer working with the high heels, and men can use athletic shoes. Female participants delighted in this activity and engaged in it immediately. It was an enjoyable way for them to approach telling their story. Those who found it difficult to share in traditional process groups viewed this activity as a safe way to start communicating with others.

      Inspired by: A similar activity seen at the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, Dallas, Texas.

      “If you walk in my shoes . . . you will laugh . . . you will cry . . . you will find a lot of pain . . . you will find a strong woman . . . you will find the quiet after a storm . . .

      “To walk a mile in my shoes you’d know that I struggle with low self-esteem, the fear of being left alone, and a scary history of organized crime. My past is my addiction in so many dotted ways.”

       Self-Awareness: Individual Strengths and Areas for Growth

      Activities in this section are targeted at increasing awareness of individual strengths. Rediscovery of existing abilities and learning new abilities reinforces the expectation that this process is cumulative and self-sustainable.

      Abilities are highly individualistic, and these activities emphasize working together to find one’s own strengths. Recovery groups provide safe and accepting opportunities for participants to explore simple skills and to reflect on where competencies are at the moment.

      Roxanna: When working with large groups, there are always a few individuals who stand out as having special talent at a particular activity. Cultivating a group atmosphere of support for one another is one area I consider to be my own strength. I believe that while some proficiencies are special talents, much of what separates one group member from another is a combination of life experiences and learned skills.

      Even acts as simple as cutting with scissors or knowing how to fold a piece of gift wrap do not come innately; they come from learning. By keeping the focus of our activities on a growth process, I don’t hesitate to reveal my own limitations. My mother encouraged my sensitivity to and appreciation for the differences of others. By showing my personal, imperfect model of what it is to be human, I nourish a greater latitude of willingness to accept one’s own limitations.

      What has been most surprising is the frequent and many ways participants reveal talents. In working on one project, it is not unusual for the participants to take advantage of art supplies or flexible time to explore something within themselves. These spontaneous inspirations stimulate others to respond in positive ways. One woman who kept an empty cigarette box of found items shared it with us, and we adopted it into the “Strength Box” activity. Unexpected moments of discovery are truly the richest part of working with our clients.