Facilitator Sharing Group Information

Welcome to our Information Document for Facilitator Status for the Indra’s Net Sharing Group. Please fill out the following as completely as possible. It is Indra’s Net’s responsibility to carefully select facilitators and we have a responsibility to affirm their ability to conduct sessions with persons who are vulnerable. All provided information is confidential.

Recruiting Participants to the Sharing Group:

Each pair of Facilitators is responsible for collecting 6-10 Participants for each Sharing Group. Eight Participants is ideal. Indra’s Net and KRF may provide referrals. Facilitators may offer Sharing Groups based on the nature of the afflictive trauma or traumas, and/or a core identifier for the group. These are wide ranging because trauma is so varied and prevalent. Indra’s Net was conceived as a response to trauma due to Covid-19 -specifically for health care workers, those affected by racial injustice and/or economic struggle as an effect of the pandemic. But more broadly, we seek to create a format to help with other sources of trauma: domestic abuse, loss and bereavement, the traumatic effects of global climate change, violence of all sorts (this is not meant to be an inclusive list). The identification for the group is left to the Facilitators. Please choose one or more themes that fall within your area of knowledge, experience–personal and/or by training and work–and appropriate to your own identifications. Our Indra’s Net Admissions Committee will review Sharing Group choices and the appropriateness of your proposal.

You may recruit Participants from many venues, such as social media, hospitals, non-profit groups, professional organizations, and social activism groups. Please reach out to us if you need assistance in gathering Participants to begin your Sharing Group. As much as possible, each Facilitator within each dyad will recruit 3-5 Participants towards the ideal group size of 8 members.

Please inform potential Participants that the power of the Sharing Group is in the group process itself, and our groups are an antidote to the social isolation that has come from the pandemic and other traumas. Our groups are not psychotherapy per se, but they are no less powerful than effective therapy. Magic happens when a group of people genuinely builds a nest, shares and bears witnesses to one another. Cohesion and
friendship emerge with a rebuilding of trust in oneself and others.

Structure for The Sharing Group:

1. Size: 6-10 group members
2. Leadership: 2 Facilitators
3. Duration: 6 weekly sessions, with option to continue–at discretion of Facilitators
to continue their participation; or may continue as a leaderless group.
4. A closed group with members committing to all 6 sessions.
5. Duration of sessions: 90-120 minutes.
6. No charge to participants
7. Indra’s Net/KRF will support and provide funding and oversight.
8. Location: On Zoom with global participants. Or, organized through institutional arrangements.
9. Languages: English, Spanish, and others as participants enter the program from different backgrounds; and different countries.

Format for Facilitators:

1. Facilitators may be psychotherapists, clergy, health care workers, and others–vetted for experience by the Admissions Committee of the Working Group.
2. Volunteers and reach out through public relations, Working Group affiliates, the net, invitation, and advertising.
3. Support: KRF Funds accumulated through active fundraising for this project.
4. Proposed Remuneration: 1) Recruitment and Screening of Group Members $50/enrollee. 2) $100 per facilitator/session=$600 per group of 6 sessions/therapist. 3) Three month support for Zoom PRO subscription for each therapist.
5. Ongoing consultation with Core Group of Facilitators– Consultant fees
6. Leaders have the responsibility for forming group composition attending to balance between expressive and quiet members.
7. Facilitators may have a member leave the group if there is significant disruption of the group’s process. Please utilize your Consultation Committee for oversight and questions about any struggles within the group.
8. These are not psychotherapy groups though great self understanding will occur. Leaders are facilitators, not psychotherapists.
9. Participants may be referred for psychotherapy, other models of trauma support (breathwork, yoga, expressive arts, etc) or KAP to affiliates in regional areas.

Facilitator Process for Remuneration for Sharing Group:

1. Once the Sharing Group reaches 6 members or more, the Facilitator will collect Participant intake forms and assessments. These are sent to the Administrator.
2. Administrator will enter data, and collect w-9 tax forms
3. Administrators will provide payments at the conclusion of the Sharing Group.

Essential Rules for Group Safety and Cohesion

Please review and indicate your agreement on our Format for The Sharing Group
Participants Agree to:
1. Stay for the duration of the group.
2. No violence or destruction of property in personal settings.
3. No interruption or cross-talk.
4. Agree to follow Facilitators’ instructions involving sharing and interaction.
5. Courteous, awakened speech in interaction. Using “I” statements. Asking open-ended questions. Making requests in the positive (what you do want) rather than the negative (what you don’t want).
6. Refrain from telling, blaming, proselytizing, and blocking.
7. Commitment to active listening. Active listening isn’t just hearing what is being said, it is attuned and aware attention. Active listening involves focus, making eye contact, sounds or words of validation and understanding, and reflecting back to the Speaker what you heard.
8. Participants are encouraged to take accountability for their own experiences and reactions.
9. Holding an open mind with curiosity and compassion.
10.Begin and end with 5 minute guided meditations– breath focus to begin sessions.

Tenets of Indra’s Net Groups– Shared at the beginning of each meeting.

1. The essence of our being is love and compassion.
2. Health and wellness are supported by inner peace and loving kindness towards ourselves and others.
3. Healing is supported by expressing and letting go of fear.
4. We are able to put our traumas in the past and live our lives in the Here and Now- Informed by what we have experienced and learned.
5. We are students and teachers to each other.
6. We can experience our prejudices and judgements, examine them and put them aside.
7. We can practice responsibility for our actions and forgiveness.
8. We can recognize differences between each of us and practice tolerance.
9. We all suffer and we can reduce and alleviate that suffering.
10. We can choose to follow the path of sharing, love and connection.

In Group Procedures

1. We begin with a person-by-person sharing. Listening and avoiding cross-talking. Facilitator: Everyone has 5 minutes for sharing.
2. At the conclusion of the sharing, Facilitators open the group for interaction.
3. Facilitators conclude the meeting– summarizing, setting the stage for the next meeting, handling any residuals.
4. End with a brief guided meditation.

We hope this meets with your enthusiasm, confidence and acceptance.