Comments on: Is New Warriors Training Adventure therapy? http://www.bloggernews.net/111930 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:50:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Jerry Lavoie http://www.bloggernews.net/111930#comment-138242 Jerry Lavoie Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:59:13 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/111930#comment-138242 Warren, I can certainly understand your point of view, based on your own unique experience in life, and the information (limited as it was) that you have on what I-groups are about. I think a key difference between therapy and something that is therapeutic is the perception that the one experiencing it has as to what it is supposed to "do" for him. If I go to a doctor with a pain in my shoulder and the doctor gives me a full physical then tells me that I need to go to a sports medicine clinic to get a therapeutic massage, my expectation is that the massage WILL fix my pain. My expectation when a doctor tells me to do something, is that it is medically necessary or prudent, and that predictable results should occur, and that he will monitor it and let me know what else I need to do. When I go to my neighbors' house and complain about a pain in my shoulder, if my neighbor gives me a massage (albeit the exact same technique), my expectation is that it MAY help, and that it is MY responsibility to monitor the situation and take further follow-up action as I may deem prudent. The same applies in an I-group. People have issues. We all do. Some men show up to I-group, and want help resolving their current issues. Other men in the group suggest an exercise, and the individual decides if he wants to do it. If he does, then he gets out of it what he chooses to, and he knows that there is no guarantee that it will help his issue. The benefit of the I-group setting is the inherant safety that is provided. If you do indeed have the facilitator's manual, then I am sure you noticed that more than half of it is dedicated to safety for all the men in the group. Thanks, Jerry Lavoie Warren,
I can certainly understand your point of view, based on your own unique experience in life, and the information (limited as it was) that you have on what I-groups are about.

I think a key difference between therapy and something that is therapeutic is the perception that the one experiencing it has as to what it is supposed to “do” for him. If I go to a doctor with a pain in my shoulder and the doctor gives me a full physical then tells me that I need to go to a sports medicine clinic to get a therapeutic massage, my expectation is that the massage WILL fix my pain. My expectation when a doctor tells me to do something, is that it is medically necessary or prudent, and that predictable results should occur, and that he will monitor it and let me know what else I need to do.

When I go to my neighbors’ house and complain about a pain in my shoulder, if my neighbor gives me a massage (albeit the exact same technique), my expectation is that it MAY help, and that it is MY responsibility to monitor the situation and take further follow-up action as I may deem prudent.

The same applies in an I-group. People have issues. We all do. Some men show up to I-group, and want help resolving their current issues. Other men in the group suggest an exercise, and the individual decides if he wants to do it. If he does, then he gets out of it what he chooses to, and he knows that there is no guarantee that it will help his issue.

The benefit of the I-group setting is the inherant safety that is provided. If you do indeed have the facilitator’s manual, then I am sure you noticed that more than half of it is dedicated to safety for all the men in the group.

Thanks,
Jerry Lavoie

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