This is from an RC teacher who has been experimenting with teaching one-week Fundamentals of Co-Counseling classes.
The handout I give for the week has the following in it (with any copyright information on every page):
- The pamphlet by Dan Nickerson, An Introduction to Co-Counseling;
- The article "The Counselor as Bagpiper" article that appeared in Present Time No. 48;
- The article "What to do in a session", which can be found on the RC web site;
- "The Art of Being Client," from The Human Situation, by Harvey Jackins, p. 191-193;
- From the Guidelines for the Re-evaluation Counseling Communities: Sections A., E and L; 2001 Goals and 1997 Long-Range Goals (Section A. is "The Re-evaluation Counseling Communitiy", Section E. is "Re-evaluation Counseling Classes", and Section L. is "Relationships--The 'No Socializing' Policy");
- "Insights About Oppression: The Key Concepts and Insights of Re-evaluation Counseling to Date--Part II" (appeared in Present Time No. 46 and in The Reclaiming of Power by Harvey Jackins); and
- Working Together to End Racism pamphlet.
Here is the welcome page I send to people before the class starts:
Welcome! To make your first Re-evaluation Counseling Class go as well as possible, please keep these things in mind:
CONFIDENTIALITY
Re-evaluation Counseling, also known as Co-Counseling, works best when all members of the class agree to keep anything said in class, and within their counseling sessions, completely confidential. This agreement is a requirement for your participation in this class.
NO SOCIALIZING POLICY
The primary activity of members of the Re-evaluation Counseling Communities is that of Co-Counseling, of discharge and re-evaluation. Members are required to agree that no social or business relationships be added to the Co-Counseling relationship. If you are already friends outside of Co-Counseling, adding Co-Counseling to your friendship will deepen and strengthen that friendship.
PLEASE DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL BEFORE CLASS.
Alcohol inhibits your ability to fully use the process of Co-Counseling to heal and to Co-Counsel well with the other people in the class.
PLEASE BE ON TIME.
There's a lot to cover in the 11-1/2 hours we'll be together, I don't want anyone to miss a thing! Class starts at 7pm and ends at 9:30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, starts at 1pm and ends at 5pm on Saturday. Please call me at the numbers below if you have a problem getting to class.
Payment for class is due the first night: $35, $20-25 for students, low-income, seniors. Please make checks payable to "_________".
CANCELLATIONS
If you are unable to attend the entire class, please call me by Monday, at __________________.
Class is held at ____________________. Parking is available on ___________________. The subway stop is ________________.
CLASS OUTLINE FOR ONE-WEEK FUNDAMENTALS CLASS
Monday 7-9:30pm
Basic Theory of Re-evaluation Counseling
How to Co-Counsel
Appreciating Yourself without Reservation
Assignment: Counseling family, friends and co-workers.
Tuesday 7-9:30pm
The Role of the Counselor
The Role of the Client
Things to do in a session
Wednesday 7-9:30pm
Things to do in a session (continued)
Simple Counseling Techniques
Coached counseling and counseling review
Saturday 1-5pm
RC Theory on Oppression
Video: A Young Person's Challenge to Young People's Oppression: A demonstration of discharging the oppression and mistreatment of young people. This young person is extremely clear in his re-evaluation and rejection of the oppression.
Counseling on the oppressor and oppressed roles
Support Groups
Here is the more detailed outline I use during the week as a "cheat sheet." I follow this outline in general, but also "go with the flow." If, for example, I find some other way of doing something will work better just because of who is in the room and what is needed, I will abandon "my agenda." Sweet things have happened that were entirely unplanned or unforeseen, and that is what makes this so enjoyable for me. Having a plan helps remind me of what my goals are in the class.
MONDAY
Introduce myself and tell what is going to happen in the class
- Learn the basic theory and practice of RC tonight
- Practice and try out a number of things throughout the week
- See demonstrations
- Receive coached Co-Counseling on Wednesday night
- Learn how to run an RC style support group Saturday afternoon
Your name, where are you from?
How you heard about RC?
How long in RC?
What do you hope to get out of the class?
Already doing RC, what have you gotten out of it?
Tell us something you are pleased with or happy about in your life?
Explanation of what we just did
- Why we do introductions in RC.
- The point of each question I asked.
- The point of "News and Goods"
Demonstration (3 minutes): How did your day go today?
Two-way mini sessions: 4 minutes each
BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK
Go-round: 2 minutes each for everyone in the group to say:
- What was it like to be listened to?
- How was it to listen?
Demonstration: Self-Appreciation
Mini-sessions appreciating yourself: 2 minutes each way (or 5 minutes each in the group.)
Closing: the only homework assignment for the week: listen to people.
One thing you are looking forward to.
One thing you liked about the class tonight.
TUESDAY
Activity
Mini-sessions: 7 minutes each
News & Goods
Listen to anyone today? How was it, what did you try?
Any insights since last class?
Questions and Answers
Sessions in front of the group
Life Stories Part 1 in front of the group, 7 minutes each. (Confidentiality reminder)
BREAK
RC Theory
- What is a distress recording?
- What is the nature of distress recordings?
- What are the indications of discharge and their order?
- Your job as a counselor: 4 steps
- Things to remind yourself as warm-up exercises for being counselor
- Things to remember about being an effective counselor
- What forms of discharge you know you do easily?
- What forms of discharge are you uncomfortable doing, are afraid of seeing?
- When are the times you can tell you can't think straight?
- One thing you are looking forward to.
- One thing you like about the person on your left.
WEDNESDAY
Activity
Mini-sessions: 9 minutes each 3-ways/ 14 minutes each 2-ways
New & Goods
What's the most interesting/exciting/questionable piece of RC theory so far?
Sessions in front of the group
Life Stories Part 2, 5 minutes each
- Confidentiality Reminder (person vs. distress patterns they carry)
- What did you notice the counselor doing well?
- What did you notice about the client during her session?
- What did she talk about?
- What was distressing, if anything, what emotions/discharge occurred?
- When did she seem tense, how did you know?
- Were there any control patterns operating?
- What ideas does she have about herself that are inconsistent with what we know to be true about human beings (of great intelligence, value, decisiveness, power, loveable and loving)?
BREAK
Coached Counseling of 3 People: 5 minutes on a recent upset, 3 minutes counseling the counselor, 5 minutes on what other people noticed about the session.
Closing
Most important insight you've gained so far.
One thing you like about yourself you haven't shared yet?
SATURDAY
Activity
Mini-sessions: 10 minutes each 3-ways/ 15 minutes each 2-ways
New & Goods
RC Theory on Oppression
- The sources of distress recordings are grouped into 3 categories.
- Accidents
- Contagion
- Operation of oppression
- It makes sense to interrupt abuse and oppression of any human being at any time.
- The witnessing of oppression seems inherently hurtful to people.
- No human being would agree to submit to oppression unless a distress recording of such submission had been installed previously while the human was hurting. No one would ever agree to, or participate in, oppressing another human being unless a distress recording had been previously installed through the person being hurt and then later manipulated into the "other end" of the pattern, to play the role of the perpetrator of hurt or the role of the oppressor.
- The patterns laid in by the oppression of young people is used as a foundation for the installation of all the other patterns of oppression.
- The oppression of Jews or "anti-Semitism" is deliberately maintained during periods of social calm with an organized structure held in readiness for its intensive use during periods of social upheaval. In periods of social upheaval, it is always attempted to be used as an "opening wedge" and a precedent for the pillaging and destruction of many other groups of the population.
- "Mental health" oppression is used as an ever-present threat against anyone who resists conformity and as an excuse for the destruction and denial of individual civil liberties.
- Internalized Oppression: describe, video
- What to notice: Harvey doesn't say much, young person can't say much that makes sense at first, gets clarity with discharge. Primary themes of powerlessness, invisibility and lack of support and fear.
BREAK
What did you notice about the video, the counseling, the work of the client?
Support Groups: What was great about growing up a girl/boy in your family/community? 10 minutes each
Closing
What did you like about the class?
Something you are looking forward to?
Cynthia Fowler
Philadelphia, PA, USA