I think it's quite a milestone for the group to reach it's third meeting and have set a date for the fourth (details in a moment). So what happened at the third gathering?

We started off with a discussion around the work and techniques of Erickson and Rossi and role played by trusting the intuition. In tracking the vast amount of information generated by a client, several people suggested that David Grove seems to trust to his intuition to know what to say and when.

Maureen mentioned that there is a chance of the group being able to work with David himself next year, possibly around May - with David either coming to the group in Middlesborough or the group going to see David in the Lake District.

We then moved back to the subject of intuition. "Would it help" I wondered "to model someone's intuition using clean language?"

The only way to find out was to try it, so Maureen McGrath and I did a demonstration, I acted as programmer and Maureen as client, with others taking notes. It was a fascinating exercise to track the process of the development of intuition, and it seems that Clean Language is a perfect tool for this.

By the end of the demonstration we had a clear description of the structure and process of part of Maureen's intuition.

A quick discussion on isomorphic vs client generated metaphors followed and then we moved on to another practice session. No particular aim to this other than to practice the skills and offer someone else the chance to work on an issue of their choice.

After a spell of lunch and photocopying Jan joined us, Pat then introduced the next session. As part of her MA in counselling Pat was asking "can person centred therapy be evaluated by changes in the client's metaphoric image?" An interesting question.

Pat talked through the idea using some examples from her counselling work of how a client's images (drawings made during counselling sessions) can change over time as their description of the metaphor changes. Then we set to another exercise, in pairs drawing metaphors.

We had several dictionaries of symbols at the session, fascinating to find out other meanings attached to various symbols and words. At one point Jan opened one of the dictionaries at random, it opened at "Grove", which is defined as:

"a place for reflection and quiet encounters with supernatural forces and beings."

After coffee we moved onto discussion and planning the next meeting, which will be the last before Christmas.

The next meeting

Date: Saturday 22^nd November 1997

Place: You know, the TAD Centre

Time: 9.30am for a 10am start, finish around 5pm

Cost: £20

What will we do?

• back to basics, practice and a chance to brush up on skills
• maybe videoing a session, several people suggested a library of videos of our sessions would become useful as teaching and demonstration aids
• quadrant analysis
• drawing metaphors - have the ones from this time evolved?

It's a great help if you could send back the slip and a deposit, at least we know how many people to arrange coffees for and so on.

Hope to see you at the next meeting.

Blatant plug

I'm running a one day introduction to Grovian Metaphor Therapy. It will be on Sunday 8^th November at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, West Yorks. Cost is only £5 to those with training. It would be wonderful to have some experienced people there as well as those who are new to it.

If you'd like to join in please let me know - then I can send you a map and further details.

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Please reserve me ___ place(s) on the Grovian Metaphor Practice Group

for: Saturday 22^nd November 1997 at the TAD Centre, Middlesborough.

I enclose £5 deposit for each place and will pay the balance (preferably in cash, it makes it easier to pay the TAD Centre) on the day.

Name

Address

Send to:

Simon Stanton, 211 New Hey Rd, Oakes, Huddersfield, HD3 4GD

Telephone: 01484 - 647144 e-mail: simon@stant-1.demon.co.uk