What is the Understanding Yourself and Others group?
Understanding Yourself and Others is an educational group designed to help you develop a deeper understanding of Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) and Personality Difficulties (PD).
The group centres on understanding causes and different experiences of CEN/PD, as well as exploring new ways of managing the difficult feelings that can arise from them.
What people said about it...
"There's no better feeling than being in a group where you get that mutual understanding and finally, you're with people that are similar to you and have similar experiences."
"I found emotional regulation and putting things into place that really helped."
Who is the group for?
The group is for people who have difficulties coping with strong emotions that are impacting their lives. They will have been identified as having CEN/PD and may have an associated personality disorder diagnosis. It is a good group for first-time thinking about Complex Emotional Needs /Personality Disorder
How long does the group last?
The group runs for 6 weeks. Each session lasts for two hours with a 10-15 minute break halfway through.
Where does the group take place?
The group will take place in person in community locations across Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire. Before joining, a team member from Sequoia will give you details on where your nearest group takes place.
How many people will be in the group?
There will be up to 15 participants in every group. They will be the same for the entire 6 weeks.
Two or more members of our team will facilitate the group. Sometimes trainees may observe to learn to become a facilitator. We will tell you if any trainees are observing at the start of the first session.
What will be expected of me?
We will encourage you to take part in group discussions, although you will never be put on the spot to speak. To benefit, it is important to attend all 6 sessions. You need to join the first session to join the course.
What does the group involve?
The group explores CEN/PD through a range of different topics covered across the 6-weeks.
Understanding CEN
This topic explores common experiences of and perspectives on CEN/PD. This includes discussion around symptoms, coping mechanisms, terminology, and the impact of diagnostic labels.
Emotional Understanding and Empowerment
This topic centres on understanding our emotional experiences and the functions they serve. This includes identifying triggers, expanding coping strategies, and planning for crisis.
Past, Present and Future
This topic is about building an understanding of how our past experiences can influence our experience in the present, as well as looking forward to healthy coping strategies that can help us in the future.
Relationships and Communication
This topic explores different patterns in relationships and styles of communication, as well as how to manage triggers, rejection, and conflict.
Self-Compassion
This topic focuses on self-compassion, and how we can turn our compassion inwards to give ourselves support and encouragement when challenges and difficulties arise.
What if I feel nervous about group work?
It is perfectly natural to feel nervous about meeting a group of new people and sharing with them. A group treatment can be very helpful, as you can learn from fellow group members and share each other’s ideas as they get discussed in the group. It can also help you feel better, as you no longer feel so alone, and can see there are others who experience similar problems to you. This bond between group members is often one of the most useful factors in groups being found to be helpful for those using them.