Creating a compendium of tried and tested activities for personal development this highly practical and easy-to-use title covers specific themes such as learning to trust, developing self-understanding, non-verbal communication, expressing feelings, assertion training and exploring relationships.

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This resource is comprised of tried and tested activties for personal development it is highly practical and easy-to-use that cover specific themes such as learning to trust, developing self-understanding, non-verbal communication, expressing feelings, assertion training and exploring relationships.

Each activity session is comprised of warm-ups, a main theme and a closure, including timings and detailed notes that will considerably reduce preparation time for the use. Offering a completely hands-on approach this book will be an essential guide for therapists, teachers and others who plan and run groups working on personal development issues.

Sample Exercise for
Group Activities for Personal Development:
Decision Making

AIMS:
1. To explore the decision-making process
2. To discuss the effects of making a decision
3. To promote understanding of the decision-making process

Materials: Flip-chart, pens

Introduction: Members are seated on the chairs in a circle. Each person is asked by one of the group leaders to share a decision they have made in their life which had particular significance for them. 5 mins

Warm-up: Leaders ask members to get into pairs. Each pair is then asked to discuss decision making in the following way: (a) decisions they find easy to make, (b) decisions they find difficult to make. Encourage members to think about why there are differences. The pairs are then asked to come back into a large circle and a volunteer writes on the flip-chart. The chart is divided into two columns headed EASY DECISIONS and DIFFICULT DECISIONS and members are asked in turn to say what they came up with in their pairs. This is written onto the flip-chart. 10-15 mins

Main Exercises: Using information on the flip-chart, the leaders encourage discussion of the question as to why some decisions are easy to make and some are difficult. They encourage members to voice their feelings about the significant decision they shared in the introduction: was this an easy or a difficult decision to make, and why?

The leaders guide the discussion so that it covers the following points:

• Did the influence of others affect the decision-making process?
• Did the outcome affect others?
• What were the consequences of the outcome for the individual?
• What changes occured as a result of the process?

Closure: Ask the people to think again about their significant decision and to share it with the group once more. If they were in that position now, would they make the same decision? 10 mins

108 pages; 9 X 12;hard cover binder with spiral binding

Preface

Introduction

Exploring Relationships
Introductions
1. Close description
2. Descriptions
3. Laughter
4. Passive/active
5. Qualities
Warm-ups
1. Adverts
2. Bad habits
3. Breaking down walls
4. Choices
5. Copy Cat
6. First impressions
7. Past meeting
8. Restrain
9. What relationships mean to me
Main exercises
1. Dear Cathie
2. Lines
3. Pictures
4. The task
5. Three chairs
Closures
1. Catch phrase
2. Group feedback
3. Private note
4. Relaxation with unguided visualization
5. What I heard

Decision Making
Introduction
1. A good decision
2. Characteristics
3. Landmarks
4. My grandmother went to market
5. Significant decisions
Warm-ups
1. Colours
2. Easy and difficult
3. Ego sandwich
4. Exchange
5. Miming
6. Orchestra
Main exercises
1. Maps
2. Plane crash
3. Three plus two qualities
4. Ward round
5. Why are decisions difficult?
Closures
1. De-Roling
2. If I knew then what I know now
3. Presents
4. Recall
5. Relaxation with focus

Assertion Training
Introductions
1. Change the movement
2. I'm good at...
3. My favorite meal
4. Names and rhythms
5. Saying no
6. Story telling
Warm-ups
1. Excuses
2. I like ...
3. Listen to me
4. Snippets
5. 30 seconds
6. When yes means no
7. Yes/No
Main exercises
1. Effects of saying no
2. Fact or fiction
3. Role-play
4. Sharing a house
5. Weekend away
Closures
1. Assertion needs
2. Changes
3. Relaxation with focus
4. Something I have learned
5. What I'm taking away
6. Wha I need to be more assertive with

Expressing Feelings
Introductions
1. Color cards
2. Compliments
3. Difficult feelings
4. Emotions
5. Uncomfortable feelings
Warm-ups
1. Choose an object
2. Crossings
3. Grafiti
4. Group scream
5. Influences
6. Limericks
7. Mime an emotion
8. Objects
Main exercises
1. Associated feelings
2. Beliefs
3. Expectations
4. Musical emotions
5. Vignettes
Closures
1. Color cards
2. De-roling
3. Free expression
4. Relaxation with focus
5. Something I have learned

Non-Verbal Communication
Introductions
1. Greetings
2. Guess the feeling
3. Hobbies
4. Names and actions
5. Name Game
Warm-ups
1. Feelings
2. I see, I feel, I imagine
3. Mime the proverb
4. Toe to top
5. Wand dance
6. What is non-verbal communication?
7. Wink games
Main exercises
1. Doubling
2. Portraits
3. Sculpting
4. The silent dialogue
5. What's the problem
Closures
1. Gifts
2. Sculptures
3. Shoulder massage
4. Goodbye
5. Rocking to music

Developing Self-Understanding
Introductions
1. A country of interest
2. Desert island
3. Help or sabotage
4. Metaphor game
5. Name origins
6. Self-indulgence
7. Think of a name
Warm-ups
1. Cause and effects of stress
2. Change the object
3. My three strengths
4. Nicknames
5. Opposites
6. Personal facts
7. Scotch broth
8. Sculptures
9. Similarities and differences
10. Squeaks and roars
11. Zoo
Main exercises
1. A goal in life
2. Cogwheel
3. Noah's Ark
4. Silhouettes
5. Sociogrammes
6. The Jungle
7. Tree of life
Closures
1. Animal traits
2. Letter of Commitment
3. New growth
4. Something I learned today

Learning to Trust
Introductions
1. Aids to relaxation
2. A safe place
3. Someone I can trust
4. Trust me
5. TV Personalities
Warm-ups
1. Assumptions
2. Biodynamic lifting
3. Blind walk
4. Palm reading
5. Personal space
6. Touch and tell
7. What is massage
8. Wobbly knees
Main exercises
1. Deser island
2. Group sculpt
3. Simple massage
4. Swimming pool
5. Who to trust
Closures
1. Biodynamics lifting
2. Bridges
3. Massage feedback
4. Private writing
5. Showing trust

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