where i am is tough. great, but tough.
the first week i was there, i was asked to organise a therapeutic group which uses an activity to alleviate symptoms of mental health illness.
sounds great.but its not as simple as ABC. i dont organise a group just for the sake of.
i have to justify the therapeutic aims, goals, use of an outcome measure, and of course, i have to reason out the use of that kind of activity to use the activity as assessment tool (which means, when they're doing the task, they are being observed/discreetly of course, and outcomes are measured before and after each session to see if there were a therapeutic justification).
and be original.
if you are familiar with psychiatric dysfunction and Occupational Therapy's role, then you would be familiar with alot of arts and crafts, and recreational activities used as an assessment tool in a group.
so what else could i do?,me thinks.
there already is a
creative writing group. there already is the
creative arts and crafts and the
cookery group.
so PaDI was born. Photography and Digital Imagery group, my project.
two and a half weeks of research, working out the logistics, writing the aims and objectives, and client-centred goal assessment measures. basically, blood, sweat and tears for someone who has little time as me.
its a 5 week therapy group, 2 hour session every Thursdays and Fridays, composed of 5 clients ranging from different diagnoses, ranging from bipolar, anxiety disorder and depressive mood disorder , clients whose functions have deteriorated due to their illnesses.
the clients are so diverse ranging from a graphic designer (M, a mid 40s female), a games entrepreneur (E ,early twenties male), a published photographer (T, male in his 50s), a nurse (D, an early 40s male) and an admin executive (S, a late 30s something female), or they were before illness got to them. previous roles which they are unable to undertake due to breakdowns in their mental health. which means they are highly functioning individuals, they live in their own homes, but come to the centre for these therapies. they are just unable to perform previous roles due to crises in their mental abilities, so they cannot perform their jobs, their roles as mums, or they are socially isolated due to their anxiety to go out, and totally have left them without any self-esteem.
so why would a published photographer want to be in a basic photography course ran by me (who has just learned to know which button is which on my camera?) why would a graphic artist want to learn digital imagery every friday afternoon?
first, because they are unable to do so this moment in time. they have lost capacity to do the simplest of task. and secondly and more importantly, the goal is to develop social skills, decrease their anxiety /panic (and meltdowns) in social situations/groups, develop self-fulfillment and re-learn or learn new skills (if they haven't already) in a fun learning environment. these people forgot somewhere,somehow, how to have fun.
(bored,yet?)
these people were handpicked to join this group because they are at a level they could understand the medium used, and are able to follow through the sessions in terms of learning and to manage their time and have a higher level of problem solving and routine. (although i also handle a lower functioning group, those who dribble and pick their nose in the middle of the table, or come to a shop wearing their undergarment on top of their clothes? but they are in my coffee morning group--basically to learn social norms and propriety and follow through simple day-to-day routine).
plus, these people also are interested in photography, to be asked to join, as it would be no use if they find the group uninteresting and has no meaning to them. (e.g. a person who is depressed and who is not interested in arts and crafts would not be asked to join the glass staining activity group, because they would end up killing themself out of boredom if its not something they would want to do. it will just depress them more).
all my 5 clients are interested in photography and its something they could relate to either because its job related to them, or something they enjoy. so we use it as a therapeutic tool.
two and a half weeks of hard graft on the research, making the structure of the sessions, has commenced today. doing my lesson plan and researching photography books, interacting with them and asking the clients to come to the sessions, and preparing the equipment needed, have today come to a head.
so far, today was a first day success.
this was us today making the most of the afternoon sun to do the practical session.
the OT assistant who was observing said,she saw some mood improvement and interaction between the clients. that alone is a testament how photography can be very therapeutic.
my clients are interesting and creative people. and it can get intimidating because some of them are more learned and more qualified than me, but i am not there to make photographers of them. i am there to facilitate a therapeutic activity to aid them in alleviating their symptoms ,and hopefully they will use recreational activities like these to relax them and give them the instant lift.
tomorrow, friday will be computer use/downloading of their work, putting them in files and naming files. simple as that.
a little digital manipulation (cropping, levels, curves and temperature adjustment on photoshop), nothing scary, just for them to get some sense of accomplishment of doing a task that they get to complete, whilst learning at the same time.
and they will have to share and talk about their work, and need to get into interacting, asking questions,and critiquing their own work. they are not critiquing others' work because this should be fun, and not competitive. ENJOY is the buzz word in the centre,if i may remember,and thats how photography should be.
the number of 5 clients is just perfect too, for the time allocated, and the attention i could give them for a one-to-one,if needed. just right
today, it was raining the entire day. i was rushing in the morning, and there were accidents on the road which got me stuck in traffic when i planned to be earlier than normal so i could prep for my group, but alas, traffic got me.
but you know what, i was blessed. by 2 PM, the rain stopped, and sun came out. it was still cold yet it was dry and there was sun, that was just pure blessing for our first session.
and it rained again by 4PM just as we were just going back to the centre to wrap up the session.
and after 5 weeks, there is an exhibit of everyone's works in the foyer of the centre and a graduation of some sort for undergoing a Basic Photography course.
and i cant believe, its my name signing them off on that certificate.
talk about sense of accomplishment, this is more of my therapy as much as theirs.
**
its alot of hardwork and brain scrunching (and fun too).
but i think, i will come out a better and more confident as a clinician after this.
well, let's hope so.:-)
