Parenting Experiences: Psychosocial Support and Sharing Group Held
To mark Mother’s Day, WALD organized an art therapy-based session titled "Parenting Experiences: Psychosocial Support and Sharing Group," designed to provide mothers receiving services in the fields of social protection and social cohesion with a safe group environment to share their parenting experiences and receive psychosocial support.
The World Academy for Local Government and Democracy (WALD) Foundation organized the "Parenting Experiences: Psychosocial Support and Sharing Group" session for Mother’s Day, involving mothers who benefit from the foundation's social protection and social cohesion services. The session utilized an art therapy-based approach to encourage mothers to share their feelings, thoughts, and experiences regarding their parenting journeys within a safe group setting.
At the start of the group session, participants were welcomed, group rules were outlined, and the purpose of the activity was explained. Emphasis was placed on voluntary sharing, confidentiality, a non-judgmental approach, and the uniqueness of each individual's experience. As a warm-up activity, participants were asked to introduce themselves and liken their current emotional state to a type of weather. By expressing their emotional states through various metaphors, participants had the opportunity to listen to one another's experiences and bond over shared emotions.
Subsequently, participants hung their completed "trees of life" in a shared space, creating a symbolic "forest." This activity fostered a sense of connection among participants with diverse life experiences by highlighting their shared emotions and experiences. Participants were observed actively listening to one another and offering supportive feedback.
During the closing segment, participants were given small slips of paper and asked to write supportive messages for one another. The messages highlighted themes of solidarity, strength, being understood, and not being alone. The overall assessment indicated that the group work had a positive impact on the participants; the mothers experienced a safe space where they could share their emotions and experiences, and their sense of belonging to the group was strengthened.
