Group Therapy Book Club

GROUP GROUND RULES & EXPECTATIONS

1. Respect confidentiality & anonymity of members

2. Provide a safe & secure space for one another

3. Have compassion and kindness for ourselves and one another

4. Freedom to release anger (swearing is permitted) but not at one another.

5. Any kind of harassment or bullying will NOT be tolerated.

For Nov 6th please read chapter 4 until 'From Lonely Until Connected' pg. 49.

The exercises in this chapter to do for this session are:

• Exploration: Elements of the Social Engagement System

• Exploration: Four Connections (with self, others and the world

• Exploration: Filling your Autonomic Tank

See you next week!

What do people think about sometimes trying one or two of the exercises together in the group meeting? Maybe we could listen to the audiobook recording or someone could read it out. The exercise experience might be different with the group, and I'm wondering if it could be some good fuel for discussion and questions.

I was just reflecting near the end of the meeting about that discernment between gaslighting yourself and invalidating your fear and calming down so you can hear what it's telling you and understand the message in a useful way. The part about judgment is really helpful I think. I think it plays a big part when healthy dysregulation becomes dysregulation that's stuck that we can't get out of. It's sort of like a feedback loop of judgment on judgment. The judgment that's hypercritical and judges you for judging and then judges that is different from the judgment that's more like discernment or a part of healthy anger. I remember a video I watched from someone very woowoo Kyle Cease years ago. (I don't like him/ his kind of thing anymore but these scientific books are helping me discern what about them worked for me that was healthy.) Anyway I remember…