TIME

TOPIC/ACTIVITY

9:00 – 9:15

Welcome and trainer introduction. Overview/goals of project

Session goals, objectives, agenda.

Housekeeping

9:15 – 9:45

Defining Resistance:

• Understand the role of resistance
• Learn how to recognize resistant behavior
• Identify verbal & non-verbal cues
• Identify worker’s internal responses to resistance

9:45 – 10:30

Transfer of Learning Activity : Case Examples

• In this activity, small groups will brain storm those characteristics that lead a worker to label a client as “reluctant/resistant” for 15 minutes.
• The trainer debriefs the class and captures the characteristics on a flip chart.
• The trainer identifies those characteristics that inhibit change and provides some insight into how to respond.
• Ethical concerns are discussed.

Addresses Cultural Diversity and Ethics requirement

10:30 – 10:45

Break

10:45 -- 11:00

The angry/raging client:

• Factors that motivate anger and rage are discussed.
• The group is asked for their experiences dealing with angry clients. (Transfer of Learning Activity)
• Strategies for dealing with angry clients are provided.

11:00 – 11:45

Show a 23 minute video about angry clients:

• The trainer will debrief the video and acknowledge the characteristics of resistant clients that the group had discussed earlier.

11:45– 12:00

Provide group affirmation for the difficulty of the work they do.

12:00 – 1:00

LUNCH

1:00 - 1:30

Violent/Aggressive Behavior:

• Worker concerns when dealing with violent clients
• Differentiating between angry and violent clients
• Skills and techniques for dealing with potentially violent clients are presented.

1:30 – 2:00

The role of grief and loss:

• The trainer will discuss how un-grieved losses translate into isolation, alienation and a general sense of despair.
• The connection between anger and depression is explored.

2:00 – 2:30

Substance abuse:

• The trainer will point out how substance abuse effects family dynamics; causing co-dependency, domestic violence, financial chaos and poor boundaries.

2:30 – 3:00

Guilt as resistance:

• The grief - anger – depression connection
• Gender differences in depression

3:00 -3:15

BREAK

3:15- 3:45

Shame as resistance:

• Shame is defined and differentiated from guilt
• The shame/rage spiral is presented
• The resistant behaviors of individuals experiencing shame are highlighted.

3:45- 4:15

Transfer of Learning Activity

Role Playing :

• Working in dyads, trainees will practice active listening, empathy and validation as another person talks about an experience of guilt and then an experience of shame.
• Trainees are then asked to talk about the difference in their feelings when discussing shame and guilt.
• The object of this exercise is to enlighten participants about (1) our own resistance to talking about shame; and (2) the challenge for self-neglecting clients to open up to this feeling.
• Techniques for dealing with shame related behaviors will be presented.

4:15- 4:30

Wrap-up, summary, and evaluation