WOMEN'S

GROWTH

COOPERATIVE

by Iris Bishop

In our column last month Co-Op members Karen Quay and Iris Bishop discussed some central concepts of feminist therapy. A major emphasis was on the role of feminist therapy in helping women reclaim our power by creating definitions of ourselves based on the evidence of our own experiiences. Feminist therapists believe that women have the capacity to heal themselves by creating new experiences and environments that are self affirming.

This month we are presenting an exercise which will make some of the ideas presented last month more concrete. This exercise is based on one from A Woman's Journey by Louise Volton Eberhardt (New Community Press, 1976). This exercise would work well in a consciousness raising group or other women's support group. If you are not part of a regularly meeting women's group now, get a group of friends together so you can become aware of situations in which women feel powerless and pow. erful; and 2) explore ways to become and feel more powerful.

Materials: newsprint, markers, tape, paper, pencils

Time: two to four hours initially

Group size: any number can participate Procedure: 1) If the group feels most comfortable having a facilitator, one member can be so designated. She can participate in the exercise as well as take responsibility for keeping the process moving smoothly. 2) Discuss the objectives listed

above. 3) If the group is large, divide into smaller groups of 5 to 8 members. 4) On Newsprint, each group lists situation in which members have felt powerless and the feelings that go with each situation. Do the same for situations in which you have felt powerful. See the sample below:

SITUATION

POWERLESS

1) taking car to mechanic

2) asking for a raise

SITUATION

FEELINGS ignorent, confused wary about being ripped-off, childlike doubtful of my worth, subservient, nervous

POWERFUL

1) writing an article for What She Wants

2) back-packing

FEELINGS accomplishment, intelligent, proud brave, strong, relaxed, vigorous

5) Each group chooses someone to present their newsprint list to the total group. Each representative reads an item. Then go around until all situations have been mentioned. Note the similar.. ities, differences, common patterns. Don't be surprised if the lists of powerless situations are longer than the lists of powerful situations! 6) Divide up

SUMMER OFFERINGS-

The Women's Growth Cooperative is offering five workshops during the months of July and August. Locations of the workshops will be announced soon. For all day-long workshops, please bring your lunch.

Anger Workshop--Saturday and Sunday, July 1617--noon -4 p.m.--$25

We will look at: 1) ways we express our thoughts and feelings of anger...rage, tears, and depression; 2) the effects that internalizing and misdirecting anger have on the body; 3) how we as women gain awareness, control, and a feeling of power in expressing anger.

Pre-register by July 9.

Facilitators: Lori Futterman, Wendy Passov, Karen Quay

"Fatshop"--Saturday, July 23--10 a.m. to 5 p.m.--

$20

We will identify, share, and deal with societal messages about fatness that we've accepted and which shape our self-concepts and behavior.

Pre-register by July 16. Facilitators: Rita Coriell, Iris Bishop, Pat Hoornstra, Hetty Cowan

Assertiveness TrainingSaturday and Sunday, July 30-31--10 a.m. to 5 p.m.--$40

Assert yourself. Learn positive ways to stand up for yourself and express your feelings and needs. We will assess our own behavior in situations at home, at work, and at social gatherings. The focus will be on changes in behavior. So stop seeth-

ing in silence, building up resentment, acting with undirected fury, and feeling like a martyr...assert yourself.

This workshop is designed to be a complete unit in itself and would also be an excellent follow-up to the anger workshop.

Pre-register by July 23.

Facilitators: Iris Bishop, Mary Ann Huckabay "SweatShop"--Saturday, August 6--1 to 5 p.m.

$10.00

When was the last time you stretched your muscles?

One of the sources of men's psychological power is their physical strength, which they nurture and value. The opposite has been true for women; we experience our bodies as liabilities (cages) more often than we feel strong and powerful. This workshop will combine: 1) a work-out, stretching our physical limits; and 2)discussion, exploring our mental blocks against seeing and using our bodies as sources and expressions of power. Pre-register by July 30. Facilitators: Marcia Kessler

Lori Futterman, Betsy Reeves,

Interface 1: Lesbian/Straight Women (This Interface is the first in an on-going series. Coming Interfaces will explore issues between black and white women, old and young women, and similar divisions), Saturday, August 13--10 a.m. 5 p.m.--$20

to

Let's start working through our issues with each other instead of pretending they don't exist. We will provide a safe environment in which to explore,

into small groups again. Each group should plan a role play of one of their powerless situations. Work together to turn the situation into one in which you feel more powerful. 7) Reassemble into the total large group and present the role plays to the other group members. Discuss the implications of the situations, the feelings of the woman as she played her role, the steps taken to go from feeling powerless to feeling powerful. 8) Divide into pairs. Each woman identifies one situation in which she would like to have more power and the action this necessitates. With her partner she can practice new behavior. You'll find that in each situation there are many options for gaining more power.

Follow up activities: 1) Each woman works on her situation in the "real" world. 2) at the next session discuss what happened as you adopted new behaviors. Feelings and consequences should be shared for mutual support. Alternative ways of handling a situation can be brain-stormed. Steps 1-8 can be repeated with each woman choosing a different situation to work on. 3) The members form themselves into a task group to work together on a particular situation. Using one of the examples presented above as an illustration, the members may decide to study car maintenance together, boycott garages in which mechanics treat women in a patronizing way, only go to garages that hire women mechanics, etc. Women gain power by acting individually and in groups to both change their powerless behavior and to change the situations that make them feel powerless.

define, express, and deal with our fears and misunderstanding of each other as well as our larger commonalities as women.

Pre-register by August 6.

Facilitators: Karen Quay, Mary Ann Huckabay

The Women's Growth Cooperative is committed to providing these workshops for women regardless of their ability to pay. If you are unable to pay the suggested fee, please contact us to work out other arrangements.

The Coop also offers individual counseling to women on a sliding fee scale basis. We can be reached at 321-8582 on Mondays from 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or call and leave a message with our answering service.

To register for a workshop, please return the form below with payment by the listed pre-reg. istration date. Mail to:

The Women's Growth Cooperative, P.). Box 18087, Cleveland, OH 44118 321-8582

name

address

phone

I would like to register for the: Anger Workshop FatShop

Assertiveness Training

SweatShop

Lesbian/Straight Interface

(please identify yourself

as lesbian or straight)

June, 1977/What She Wants/page 3