In the summer of 2009, we shared a marvelous journey in a narrative group in Hsinchu mountain with young friends whose parents had been diagnosed with mental illness. The composition of this group was unusual. Members’ age ranged from 13 to 19 years old, and they were from three different families: three brothers who lived together but were rarely aware of each other; a cynical adolescent and his younger sister with whom he fought a lot, but were close as well; a manly yet delicate and considerate 19-year-old young girl who was always the big sister in the group. Except for the parent’s mental condition, there was little similarity within the groups. In addition, with siblings in the group, various unspoken feelings were even harder to be shared. From a traditional treatment point of view, the composition of this group was controversial and doubtful. However, "we" never meant to "cure" "them". They agreed to accept help and companionship from those who listened to them with sincerity and empathy, but not treatment. Instead of "treatment" or "therapy," providing "relief" is more like what we have been doing in our educational practices for young people. For these youngsters who are living in what is considered to be the bottom of society, who come from what are so-called “defective” families,, tribulations due to class, economic structure, and moral prejudice may somewhat scar them in the course of life, but we truly believe these scars can be relieved by trust and love. This is what we mean by "relief." Through re-writing the stories of the group in the summer 2009, the authors reflect and invite readers to new prospects for adolescent educational practices.
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Walk with Him/Her:Alleviate the Scars Through Involvement Relationship
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