Chair Sculpture of Suffering 苦难椅子雕塑

Objectives 目标

1. Identify our tendency to suppress or avoid our unwanted thoughts and feelings and the cost of doing this
   认清我们会有抑制或回避我们不想要的想法和感受的倾向，以及这样做的代价
2. Observe that despite best efforts, avoided thoughts and feelings can continue to persist
   观察到尽管做出了最大的努力，我们回避的想法和感受还会继续存在
3. Foster acceptance as an alternative to deal with difficult thoughts and feelings
   培养接纳，以此作为应对困难的想法和感受的替代方式

 Suggested Time 建议时间：

• 45 – 60 minutes 45到60分钟

Number of Facilitators 小组带领者（组长）人数

• 1

Brief Description 简述

This is a group exercise to co-construct a physical metaphor about coping with negative feelings. At the start, the group is sitting in a circle. After a brief guided meditation to recall a challenging life event, the facilitator puts his/her chair in the centre representing the unwanted negative feelings. One by one, each participant describes a bit about their own life event, get up, place their own chair representing their coping strategy around the centre chair, return to their original spot, and remain standing. Eventually, all participants will be standing in a circle around a cluster of chairs in the centre. The participants are guided to notice that none of the chairs representing coping strategies have eliminated the centre chair representing the unwanted feelings, and paradoxically, they may only add chaos and contribute to the imposing nature of the centre chair. The resulting pile of chairs in the centre forms the “Chair Sculpture of Suffering.” After further debriefing, the participants retrieve their own chair and reseat themselves in a circle. They are guided to look at the single remaining chair representing unwanted negative feelings in the centre and become aware that this observational stance represents mindful acceptance of our feelings, without fused engagement or avoidance. In addition to learning about acceptance of negative thoughts or feelings, this can also be a powerful exercise to build group cohesion and decrease participants’ judgment of themselves for failing to control or eliminate their negative thoughts or feelings.
这是一个团体练习，我们要共同构建一个关于应对负面情绪的实体隐喻。在练习开始后,小组成员围坐成一个圆圈.在一个简短的导引冥想,回忆人生中一个有挑战的事件之后,小组带领者把她/他的椅子放到中间,这个椅子象征那些大家不想要的负面情绪。之后，每一名组员一个接一个地简述他们自己那个生活事件,站起来,把他们自己坐着的，代表他们的应对策略的椅子放到中间那把椅子周围,再回到他们原来的位置,保持站立。最终,所有的组员将会站成一个圆圈,围着中间的一堆椅子. 组员们会被提醒，其实任何代表应对策略的椅子都不能消除中间那把代表不想要的感受的椅子。相反地,它们只会增加混乱,以及助长中间椅子的气焰。中间那堆椅子组成了一个“苦难椅子雕塑”。进一步小结之后,组员们要拿回自己的椅子并坐成圆圈。他们被指导去看着中间那把代表不想要的感受的椅子, 领悟到这种观察的态度代表了对我们感受的正念接受，不去融合或回避。除了学习接受负面想法和情绪之外,这个练习在建立小组凝聚力，以及减少组员们的对自己的评判非常有效力–组员们认为自己没能控制或者消除那些负面的想法和感受而会对于自己产生评判。

ACE Processes ACE流程

• Acceptance 接纳
• Defusion 解离
• Empathy & Compassion 同理心与恻隐心

Key Learning Points 学习要点

• We all experience challenging situations that evoke negative thoughts and feelings. Further, it is natural and being human that we all try our best to cope with them.
  我们都经历过一些能够引起我们消极想法和感受的困难处境。而尽力应对它们是人类的自然天性。
• While coping strategies can be helpful and some coping actions such as problem solving or getting help are inherently beneficial, the negative feelings can persist.
  尽管应对策略可能会有所帮助，就像解决问题或寻求帮助等一些应对措施本身就是有益的，但负面情绪可能还会继续存在。
• If we spend all our efforts in coping and avoiding our negative feelings, it can completely drain us, and our life will all be about coping, increasing our suffering.
  如果我们把所有的努力都花在处理和回避我们的负面情绪上，我们的精力就会被耗光，而我们的生活将全都是在灭火，这样我们的痛苦会增加。
• One alternative is to observe and accept these negative feelings and thoughts mindfully, i.e., neither being consumed by them nor struggling against them, such as suppressing them or running away from them.
  另一种选择是专注地观察和接受这些负面的感受和想法，既不被他们消耗也不与他们作斗争，比如，去压制它们或回避它们。

Materials 教學用具

• Each participant’s own chair, which must be movable
  每名参与者需要一把可以搬动的椅子。

Instructions & Sample Script 说明和示范文稿

1. Introduction – “Have you ever encountered a difficulty or challenging event? Anybody has never encountered this? What kinds of negative feelings have you experienced? Can you name some examples? … In this exercise, we will explore these situations, the difficult thoughts and feelings they evoke, and how we attempt to deal with them.”
   介绍—“你曾经历过艰难困苦的事件吗？有人从来没有经历过吗？你产生了怎样的消极情绪？你可以给出一些例子吗？…在这个练习里，我们将要探寻那些情景，这些情景所激起的困难的想法和感觉，以及我们尝试去怎样应对他们。”

2. Guided meditation about a challenging life event – “We will begin with a brief guided exercise. If you are willing, either close your eyes or let your eyes gaze unfocused at the centre of the circle on the floor. See if you can pay attention to your breath… Now, see if you can allow your mind to wander back to a difficult situation you have encountered and one that you are willing to share. It can be a big event or a small almost trivial event. Choose one that seems appropriate for you in this moment. See if you can recall who it involves … and allow yourself to be in touch with how you felt … it could be anger, sadness, disappointment, frustration, worries … and recall how you have coped with all that and how you managed the situation … and now, allow yourself to bring back to story to the present … reconnect with your breath once again … and come back to the present moment … and whenever you are ready, you may open your eyes.”
   关于艰难的人生事件的导引冥想—“我们将要以一个简短的导引的练习开始，如果你愿意，你可以或闭上你的眼睛，或让你的眼睛朦胧地目光停留在某个地方。看看你是否可以把注意力放到你的呼吸上…现在，看看你是否可以让你的心神漫游回你曾经遇到困难的，并且你愿意在这里分享的情境中，它可以是个大事件也可以是一个微不足道的小事。选一个此刻你认为合适的事件。看看你是否可以回忆谁在里面…允许你自己和你的感觉相接触…也许是愤怒，悲伤，失望，挫败感，担心…回忆你是怎样应对的，怎样处理这种情况的…现在，允许自己从故事中回到现在…和你的呼吸重新连接…回到此时此刻…当你准备好，你可以随时睁开你的双眼。”

3. Set up the space – the facilitator stands up and pushes his/her own chair to the centre of the group’s circle.
   布置空间—小组带领者站起来，并把她/他的椅子放到小组围成的圆圈中间。

4. The Chair of Negative Feelings – “You just recalled a difficult event and the negative feelings that it caused. See if you can project your own unwanted negative feelings on to this chair… if you felt anger, this chair now represents your anger … if you felt sadness, this chair represents your sadness … if you felt anger, this chair represents your anger … I will give you a moment to do that.” (Pause for a moment.)
   负面情绪的椅子—“你刚刚回忆了一个困难的事件以及由此产生的负面情绪。看看你是否可以把你自己不想要的负面情绪投射到这把椅子上…如果你感到愤怒，这把椅子现在就代表你的愤怒…如果你感到悲伤，这把椅子代表你的悲伤… 我会给你一点时间去做这个”（停下一会。）

5. Invitation to share stories, feelings, and coping strategies – “I would invite all of you to take turns sharing a little bit about your story, and specifically the negative feelings that arose and how you coped with it. You can share as little detail about the actual event as you want. Who would like to share first?”
   邀请大家分享其故事、感受和应对策略—“我想请大家轮流分享一点你的故事，尤其是那些随之产生的负面情绪，以及你是怎样应对的。 你愿意分享多少细节都可以。哪位想第一个分享？”

6. Identify each participant’s feelings and coping strategies to form the “Chair Sculpture of Suffering”:
   明确每名组员的感受和应对策略，组成一个：“苦难的椅子雕塑”。

• “Can you tell us a little bit about the situation? What negative feelings showed up for you? How did you cope with it? What did you do to make yourself feel better?” (Guide the participant’s response to identify at least one negative feeling and one coping strategy. Do not judge or comment on their coping strategy. Provide emotional support as needed.)
  “你可以给我们讲述一点这件事的情况吗？你出现了什么负面情绪？你是怎样应对的？你做了什么来让自己感到好受些？”（指导组员确定至少一个负面情绪和一个应对策略。不要评判或者评论他们的应对策略。如有必要，提供情感支持。）
• “Thank you for sharing. Can you please stand-up? Let your chair represent your coping strategy. Your chair now is the ‘Chair of [type of coping strategy*]’…” (* e.g., ‘Chair of Calling a Friend’, ‘Chair of Positive Self-Statements’, ‘Chair of Drinking Alcohol’, ‘Chair of Pretending Nothing is Wrong’, etc.)
  “谢谢你的分享。你可以站起来吗？让你的椅子代表你的应对策略。你的椅子现在是“（应对策略）的椅子…”(*比如，‘给朋友打电话的椅子’，‘自我肯定的椅子’，‘喝酒的椅子’，‘假装一切都好的椅子’，等等)
• “Recall now that the centre chair is your negative feeling – [feeling X]. Can you please show us how your coping strategy relates to your negative feeling by placing your ‘Chair of [type of coping strategy]’ in a representative way in relationship to the centre chair? You can position your own chair in any way you like, e.g., upside down or on the side, and place it anywhere you like in the room, e.g., stacked on top of the centre chair or far away from it… however, you cannot move the centre chair though… just move your own chair.”
  “还记得吗，现在中间的那把椅子是你的负面感受–（感受X）。你可以把你的（应对策略）椅子和中间这把椅子的关系用一个象征性的方式摆放吗，以此向我们展示一下你的应对策略和你的负面感受的关系？你可以用任何方式摆放你的椅子。比如，倒过来或者侧放，可以放在房间里的任何地方，比如，把它放在中间这把椅子上面，或者放在很远处…但是你不能挪动中间的椅子…只能挪动你自己的椅子。”
• “Thank you … can you please return to where you were seated before and remain standing there.”
  “谢谢，请你回到原来坐着的地方，先站一会儿。”
• “Who would like to go next?” (Move on to the next volunteer until all participants have been given a chance to share.)
  “谁做下一个？”（继续到下一个，直到所有组员都得到机会分享。）

7. Debriefing on the Chair Sculpture of Suffering – “Thank you for sharing. What do you observe in this exercise?” (When everyone participating in the exercise has completed sharing and putting their chair in the centre.)
   苦难的椅子雕塑小结—“谢谢大家的分享。你在这个练习里观察到了什么？“（当每个参与练习的人都完成了分享并把他们的椅子放到中间的时候）

8. Debriefing on Mindful Acceptance – “I would like to invite all of you to take back your own chair and reform the circle for final debriefing.”
   正念接纳小结-“请大家拿回你自己的椅子，再次坐成圆圈，我们将会进行小结。”

Debriefing & Sample Scripts 小结和示范文稿

Debriefing on Chair Sculpture of Suffering: 对苦难的椅子雕塑的小结

Empathize with our common experience of pain and suffering 强调我们共同的艰难痛苦经历

• “It does not matter who you are or how well adjusted you are, we all go through pain and suffering with our difficult thoughts, feelings, and sensations. While we each have our own trials and tribulations, as you listen to others’ sharing, do you find yourself also identifying with each other’s pain and perhaps even sharing some of the coping strategies?”
  “不论你是谁或者你调整的有多么好，我们都曾经历过痛苦并且曾挣扎于我们的困难想法、感受和感觉中。虽然我们每个人都有自己的考验和磨难，但当你聆听别人的分享时，你们是否发现我们会认同彼此的痛苦，甚至可能采用同样的应对策略？
• “We all try quite hard to cope with our unwanted thoughts and feelings when we get hurt. We do our best and it’s certainly not our lack of trying. We can acknowledge and honour each other’s pain, suffering, and efforts in coping – after all, that we are courageous in our own way when we deal with our own struggles in life … and to be alive here in this present moment, in the face of whatever we have encountered in the past.”
  “当我们受到伤害，我们都会竭力去应对我们不想要的想法和感受。我们已经尽力了，我们当然没少尝试。 我们可以承认和尊重彼此的疼痛、苦难、和付出的努力—总之，我们在处理我们生活中的艰难困苦的时候，我们以自己的方式勇敢面对…不论我们过去遭遇了什么，我们此刻还在这里活着。

Persistence of hurtful thoughts and feelings 持续的伤害性想法和感受

• “What has happened to the centre chair? Has it disappeared? Although it may be surrounded or even buried, notice that it’s still there. When we talk about these events, the negative feelings may still be here today.”
  “中间的那个椅子怎么了？它消失了吗？就算它被包围着，甚至被埋起来了，请注意它还在那里。当我们谈到那些事件时，负面情绪可能今天还在。”
• “So sometimes we think that the negative feelings would go away if we only try harder … or try different kinds of coping strategies … or if we go learn the latest coping strategy … It does not work like that here in this exercise.”
  “有时我们以为只要我们更努力…或者用其他应对策略…或者我们去学最新的应对方法, 负面情绪就会消失。在这个练习中，我们看到不是这样的。”
• “In fact, while we were doing the exercise, you might have been drawn to evaluate or judge the coping strategies that were mentioned, and even label them as good or bad strategies. Yet, we can see that none of the coping chairs were actually ‘superior’ than any other chair, and none were able to eliminate the centre chair. So, this exercise encourages us to be non-judgemental about these coping strategies when we are talking about their function in eliminating negative feelings. There need not be any judgment here. We do try the best we can at that moment in time.”
  “实际上，在我们做练习时，你可能已经对大家谈到的应对策略做过评估或评价，甚至可能会将它们标记为好策略或坏策略。但是，我们已经看到，没有一个应对的椅子比其他椅子更“高明”，而且没有一把椅子可以消除中间那把椅子。所以，这个练习提醒我们，论起消除负面情绪的功能，我们对那些应对策略不做评判。在这里无需任何评判。我们都在那个时刻竭尽全力了。”
• “Regarding the various ‘good strategies’, it’s not that we should not do them. Sometimes they do help us cope in that moment. However, when we rely on them to avoid, control, or eliminate our thoughts and feelings, you can see how this turns out. So, if you exercise or talk to a friend – do them in the service of your values and for the benefits that they can offer, such as better fitness or better friendship, rather than counting on these coping strategies to eliminate your negative feelings.”
  “关于各种‘好的策略’，并不是我们不应该使用它们。有时它们真的会帮助我们在那一刻去应对。但是，当我们依赖它们去回避、控制、或者消除我们的想法、感受、你可以看到结果是怎样。所以，如果你去锻炼或者去和一个朋友交谈—做这些是出于你的价值选择，做这些因为它们可以带来益处，比如更健美，拥有更密切的友情，而不是依赖这些应对措施去消除你的负面情绪，那就去做吧”

The cost of avoidance 回避的代价

• “What are the costs of our efforts to cope or avoid?”
  “我们努力去应对或者回避的代价是什么.”
• “Notice how much space the ‘Chair Sculpture of Suffering’ takes. Does it just take over the space in the room and our collective energy and attention? Sometimes, we may find our lives revolve around trying to cope with our hurt and our pain, with our coping strategies adding to our suffering and taking up all of the space in our lives, with little room left for anything else. We may be even pushed to the periphery and up against the wall if we put even more chairs in the middle.”
  “请留意这个“苦难椅子的雕塑”占据了多少空间。它是否占用了这个房间的很多空间，以及我们大家的精力和注意力？有时，我们也许发现我们在生活里转着圈儿竭力去应对我们的伤痛，我们的应对策略增加了苦难并且占据了我们生活的所有空间，几乎没有为其他事情留余地。如果我们在中间放更多的椅子，我们甚至可能会被挤到外围并退到墙边。”
• “Notice – are you able to sit? Instead of sitting comfortably as a group, we are left standing. We do expand and sacrifice our energy when we cope, just as we had to give up our own chair in this exercise.”
  “请注意 – 你能坐下吗？ 没有舒适地坐成一个小组，我们只能站着。 当我们应付时，我们真是延展并牺牲了我们的精力，正如我们在这次练习中不得不放弃自己的椅子一样。“

Debriefing on Mindful Acceptance: 对正念接纳的小结

• “Observe the lone chair in the centre… what is it like now for you?”
  “观察单独在中间的那把椅子…现在它对你来说是什么？”
• “What if we treat our unwanted feelings with mindful acceptance – just willing to have the feelings here with us? Notice the space it opens up in the centre. We do not have to be fused with it and get consumed by it – just as we are not asking you to be sitting in the centre chair. We can sit right where we are, make room for the centre chair, and just simply observe it.”
  “如果我们以正念接纳来对待不想要的感受会怎样—只是愿意在这里和这种感受在一起？请注意我们的中间空了出来。我们不必和那个不想要的感受融合或者被它消耗—就像我们不会要求你坐在中间那把椅子上。我们就坐在现在这里，为中间的椅子留有空间，只是观察它。”
• “When we talk about acceptance, it is our willingness to experience and not run away from what is already here, our internal thoughts and feelings. Even if we choose not to “accept”, the thoughts and feelings, like the centre chair, are here anyways.”
  “当我们谈到接纳，就是指我们愿意去体验，而不是从已经在那里的，从 我们的内在想法和感觉跑开。就算我们选择不去‘接纳’我们的那些想法和感受，就像中间的那把椅子一样，它们也都会在那里。”
• “However, acceptance does not mean we need to love our negative emotions or thoughts in a masochistic way. It also does not mean giving up. Where possible, we can still work to change our situation and environment through our actions.”
  “无论如何，接纳不是意味着我们要自虐似地爱我们的负面情绪或者想法。也不意味着我们要放弃。只要可能，我们都可以通过行动去改变我们的情境和环境。”

Facilitation Tips 带领诀窍：

• The facilitator ideally should remain standing for the entire exercise. When a participant is sharing, the facilitator may walk closer to the participant to engage in the dialogue, show emotional support, or offer a tissue if the participant becomes tearful and would like one.
  理想情况下，小组带领者应该在整个练习中保持站立。当组员分享时，组长可以走近这名组员以启发对话，表示情感支持或当组员开始流泪，并愿意接受纸巾时，为其提供纸巾。

• Participants may spontaneously share a lot of details about their back-stories about an incident. Allow brief stories to emerge, as long as they do not dominate over the entire exercise. Empathize with the story, while clarifying, focusing on, and highlighting the unwanted thoughts or feelings that come up as a reaction to the event. Do not let the group get caught up in the details and minimize other members interrupting, questioning, or commenting on the narrative.
  组员可能会不由自主地分享关于某件事的背景故事的更多细节。 允许简短的故事被呈现，只要它们不占用整个练习时间。对那些故事共情，同时澄清、关注并强调那些不想要的想法或感受只是随事件产生的一种反应。 不要让小组纠缠于细节之中，尽量减少其他成员对叙述的打断、质疑或评论。

• Depending on the size of the group, time allotted, and the engagement of the group, the facilitator may elect to involve most or ideally all group members. This includes any other group facilitator to demonstrate that we all experience challenges. Any participant may also pass if they really refuse to engage in the exercise.
  根据小组人数，分配的时间以及组内参与情况，小组带领者可以选择让绝大多数、或理想状态下——所有小组成员参与。 这包括所有其他小组带领者，以证明我们都经历过挑战。 任何组员如果非常抗拒参与这个练习，可以略过她/他。

Specific Application 具体应用

• The facilitator can lead the guided meditation to direct the participant to focus on a particular types of challenging events, situations, or feelings.
  小组带领者可以带领引导冥想，引导组员专注于某个特定类型的挑战性事件、情境或感受。

• Stigma – “See if you can recall an event in which you felt that your were stigmatized … or discriminated against … or judged or treated unfairly … or excluded in some way. What feelings showed up for you?”
  污名化- “看看你是否能够回忆起你认为自己受到侮辱……或被歧视……或被评判或受到不公平对待……或以某种方式被排挤的事件。你有什么感受浮现了出来？”

References 参考

1. Fung, K. P., & Zurowski, M. (2016). Chair Sculpture of Suffering Exercise. In A. Peterkin & P. Brett-MacLean (Eds.). Keeping reflection fresh: Top educators share their innovations in health professional education. Kent, OH: Kent State Press.
2. Inspired by Box Full of Stuff Metaphor in Hayes, S.C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K.G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behavior change (pp. 136-138). New York: Guilford Press.