Principles of Theme Centered Groups

1) Be your own chairperson. That means: be aware of yourself and your internal realities and your outer environment. Take each situation as an opportunity for your decisions. Give and take according to how you wish to be responsible for yourself and others.

"Speak for yourself, per I - rather than per We." In avoiding using the l-form of speaking, the person speaking does not take full responsibility for what he or she is saying.

2 "Side conversations take precedence; they usually contain very important things for the whole group. (Would you try to share what you wanted to say with all of us?)" If group members direct their conversation to the neighbors, rather than the group, they are likely to be highly involved in what they say.

3 "One at a time, please." Nobody can listen to more than one statement at the same time. Group cohesion results from every participant being concerned with the same theme simultaneously.

4 "Be cautious with generalizations." They have the tendency to interrupt the group process. They help when that appears to be necessary.
5 "If you ask a question, say why you ask it and what that question means to you. Speak for yourself and avoid interviewing." Questioning means that a particular information should be given. On the contrary, questions are often posed as an avoidance game, in which the individual is avoiding expressing his or her own experiences or thoughts and is hiding behind the question.

6 "Hold back with your interpretations of others as long as possible. State preferably your own personal reactions." Statements in the I- form are more open, more sincere and more    effective than in the you-form."Be aware of signals arising out of your body's sphere and be aware of those of others."

The task of any leader of a TCI group is to maintain the "Dynamic Balance" between the I (each individual), We (whole group), and It (theme/purpose/task). At the same time s/he maintains an awareness of the impact of the Globe (setting).

From the work of Ruth Cohn (World Institute of Living and Learning)