Coloring Mandalas for Meditation

In the Coloring Mandalas for Meditation group, during the first session, I had all the group members make a list of positive feelings. I then had one member choose a feeling from all the lists, and then each member chose a Mandala to color based on that feeling. It was interesting because one sex offender had a hard time even identifying any positive feelings. One felt that his list of 7 feelings was complete even though I said they could continue adding to their list. Eventually, I hope the group members will be able to talk more about their feelings and how they can experience more positive feelings in their lives. In the meantime, maybe just meditating on a positive feeling for the duration of the group will be helpful.

Good Lives Model

The facility where I work is transitioning to start using the Good Lives Model in our sex offender treatment. In a few weeks, I'm bringing back a group we used to run called Coloring Mandalas for Meditation. This will fit with one of the goods referred to as Peace of Mind or Inner Peace. Coloring mandalas can be focusing and calming. In addition, creating mandalas can help relieve stress and reduce pain. Hopefully, the group members can use this activity as a healthy coping skill, and improve the quality of their lives.