Positive Change Through Group Support

These groups are usually divided by age and gender. In this weekly group, each person take turns listening to one another. Members agree to treat one another with complete respect, to take each other seriously, to encourage one another, and to listen well to each member.

Group members sometimes remind each other that each of them is far smarter, more powerful, and more creative than the world reflects back to them. Some useful questions that are asked in this group may be: What do you love about yourself? What do you not love about yourself? What are you proud of about yourself? What do you love about other girls or boys your age? What do you hate about them? What messages have you gotten about yourself as a boy or a girl that gets in your way? What are your biggest dreams for yourself? What's in the way of achieving them?

What Teens are up Against

in our society can result in feelings of alienation, depression and loneliness. Some of the challenges that teens face in our culture are touched on here:

There is a definite lack of respect in the culture towards teenagers. People often see them as troublemakers and often refuse to listen or value what they have to say, though they are still forced to obey and listen to what adults want of them.
As children grow into teenagers, it often becomes more difficult for them to receive the tenderness and affection that was available to them earlier in their lives. Parents often become uncomfortable snuggling or being physically close with their teen aged sons and daughters.
Teens become terribly disillusioned at the state of the world. It is confusing and discouraging to teenagers to become aware of the injustices around them.
The lack of guidance or mentors in the lives of many teenagers leaves them feeling as if there is nothing they can do to change the way things are in the world. Teens often carry feelings of hopelessness about ever making a difference in the world. Most give up trying before they ever get started.

Liberation

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deep fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?

Actually who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to manifest the glory of God that is in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to be the same.

As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.

from Nelson Mandela's 1994 Inaugural Speech

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San Rafael, CA 94901
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Positive Change Through Group Support

What Teens are up Against

There is a definite lack of respect in the culture towards teenagers. People often see them as troublemakers and often refuse to listen or value what they have to say, though they are still forced to obey and listen to what adults want of them.

As children grow into teenagers, it often becomes more difficult for them to receive the tenderness and affection that was available to them earlier in their lives. Parents often become uncomfortable snuggling or being physically close with their teen aged sons and daughters.

Teens become terribly disillusioned at the state of the world. It is confusing and discouraging to teenagers to become aware of the injustices around them.

The lack of guidance or mentors in the lives of many teenagers leaves them feeling as if there is nothing they can do to change the way things are in the world. Teens often carry feelings of hopelessness about ever making a difference in the world. Most give up trying before they ever get started.

[ Home ] [ About Psychotherapy ] [ Benefits of Group Therapy ] [ Women's Groups ] [ Men's Group ] [ Groups for Children ] [ Groups for Teens ] [ Parents' Groups ] [ Philosophical Orientation ] [ For Therapists ] [ Schedule ] [ Guestbook ] [ Contact Us ]