Thoughts About Step-In Sociometry

[Jenny Wilson]

Hi I agree
I really enjoyed reading about this - great to have fresh ideas (new to
me) presented so clearly.

Jenny

thana ag wrote:
> Dear Dale,
> 
> Your succinct,extremely useful ,informative,straight to the point yet
> detailed  description of "step in "   created in
>  
> me the excitement I used to feel when I would open our Society Journal
> back in the seventies to read  articles of 
>  
>  colleagues and aplaud their creativity.  Their suggestion would
> stimulate my creative juices,and I 'd build on it
>  
> some new structures,ad hoc.
>  
> I Needless to say I  will put some of yours to an immediate use,straight
> or with a twist ...Thanks.
>  
>  A thought:  The enthusiastic response to your entry suggested to me:why
> not rethink the format of ASGPP
>  
> Journal to solicit these kind of contributions? This  comes the closest
> to "The Networker",which most of us look
>  
> forward to read.
>  
> Thanks,Dale.
>  
> anath
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Date: Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:56:37 -0700
> From: abepsychodrama at yahoo.com
> Subject: Thoughts About Step-In Sociometry
> To: list at grouptalkweb.org
> 
> 
> Dear All, 
> 
> 
> My experience with step-in sociometry is that can be quite revealing and
> often deepens the intimacy in a group.  However, I do step-in sociometry
> somewhat differently than I have witnessed from other directors.
> 
>  
> 
> I start by saying that step-in sociometry reveals the hidden connections
> in a group, and that one of the goals in a group is to make the covert
> connections overt.  I explain that most gay people have “gaydar” and
> most people who aren’t gay don’t have “gaydar.”  This is also true about
> many other issues.  Any heroin addict can enter a strange city and find
> a hit within a few hours.  That is because the addict seeks cues and
> notices cues about drugs.  The same is true if we are a person in
> recovery, or a survivor of abuse.  Our antennae are up and we are
> looking to see how others react to those topics that are sensitive for us. 
> 
>  
> 
> My instructions are that only those persons who are willing to share
> about themselves can ask a question in step-in sociometry.  I don’t do
> voyeuristic step-in sociometry.  When a person steps into the circle I
> ask them to say, “Who like me?”  I instruct the other group members that
> if they are willing to disclose and connect that they should step-in and
> join hands with the person in the inner circle.  I also instruct the
> group members that f they haven’t experienced the issue or don’t want to
> self-disclose at this time they should stay in the outer circle.  I
> remind the folks in the group that we are certain that those in the
> inner circle have experienced this issue, but we don’t know for certain
> that those in the outer circle have not also experienced this issue.
> 
>  
> 
> I then explain to the group members that the persons in the inner circle
> know what they know experientially, and those in the outer circle  only
> understand cognitively.  I remind the folks in the inner circle that
> those with them in the inner circle really get this issue and understand
> how this issue or circumstance affects their lives.   
> 
>  
> 
> I usually demonstrate the first step-in and I only do one step-in. 
> 
> I do not step-in for the other questions.  I ask that each group member
> ask one step-in so that everyone gets a turn.    If it is a new group
> and lots of newcomers then I focus on low risk things but things that
> would be important for the group to know about one another. Some
> examples of my low risk step-in questions are (and those are true for
> me): “Who like me is an only child?”;  “Who like me lost a parent when I
> was young?”;  “Who like me struggles to balance work and play?” 
> 
>  
> 
> If the group is seasoned, safe and has developed trust with one another
> then I demonstrate a (one) higher risk questions:  “Who like me had a
> parent who was an alcoholic?”;  ‘Who like me has ever been depressed?”;
> and “Who like me pay so little attention to my physical body that it
> causes me physical problems?” 
> 
>  
> 
> When people choose to step-in with a criteria that is limiting I ask
> them if they are open to making the circle bigger.  For example, a
> person may step in and say, “Who like me was repeatedly physically,
> emotionally and sexually abused by a parent.” or a person may say, “Who
> like me lost a parent by suicide when they were five years old.”  I
> teach them that by broadening statements they can still speak their
> truth while gaining connections to others.  I might suggest they ask,
> “Who like me was abused by a parent?”  or “Who like my has lost a loved
> one through suicide?’  If the person doesn’t want to make the issue
> broader so that others can join with him/her it tells me a lot about
> that person. 
> 
>  
> 
> Frankly, my only problem with step-in sociometry is too much
> disclosure.  I try to limit step-in sociometry to one round.  Usually my
> groups spend a lot of time discussing their sharing, the impact their
> sharing has on them, and the issues that arise when they share
> intimately with others. 
> 
>  
> 
> Certainly I have experienced persons say things like “Who like me wears
> contact lenses?”  When I hear those kinds of things I know that the
> safety and trust that I had thought had been developed in the group has
> not.  As a director, that means that I must return to issues of safety
> and confidentiality and trust building.  As we could say “It’s all good
> information for the group leader.” 
> 
>  
> 
> Dale Richard Buchanan
> 
> 
> 
> 
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