Emergent Modelling – The Next Iteration

Since the original development of Emergent Knowledge (EK) processing by David Grove and Steven Saunders circa 2007 it would be appear that not much has changed in the field. As the website owner and maintainer the “Powers of Six” and “Self-Alignment”, I am acutely aware that over the last few years no new material has appeared on these sites and in the Emergence field generally. I believe there is so much to discover in EK that we should be pushing the boundaries and testing the waters a lot more.

What follows here is part of my research and development – in this work I have focused upon how the client represents their thoughts, ideas and confusions etc. in a session of EK. To do this I am taking information from 'Chapter 3 – Navigation' of my original work 'Journeys with Emergent Knowledge', as a starting point. There I presented the following basic materials needed to run an EK session:

• A3 / A4 / A5 / Letter / Legal Paper / Flip or Easel Chart Paper / Index Cards / Post It notes
• Blue tak / Poster Putty / Scissors / Sellotape or Scotchtape
• Pencils / Crayons / Coloured Markers / Pens
• A selection of good dictionaries

In 'Chapter 3' it was stated:

'Internal worlds can be mapped externally by overlaying them into a room or a
landscape, which has the effect of objectifying an internal phenomena into a 
real geographic spacefrom which information is gained – this is done by having
the client write or draw then place the pieces of paper in space around them.'

and:

'The functional component of the client’s problem is their story, that which is
contained in the context of the words and the issues that are defined by the
client. 

It is the structural components of the client’s world that are given form, when
the client puts their world on paper, the form of the writing and drawings, 
where they are placed in space begin to illustrate the structure. The size of
the paper chosen, the colours, shapes, scales, scope and empty spaces are all 
aspects of how this problem is constructed.'

Beginning with these fundamental points, experiments with alternatives to writing and drawing were performed; as it was noticed when working with some clients there was no clear delineation between the structure and form of their inner worlds and the associated meanings.

To investigate this further clients were provided with modelling clay (Plasticine) to bring physical form to the structure of their inner worlds and issues. Through this process it appeared that they began to naturally separate the meaning from the form by adding labels and notes to the figures/objects they created. Clients found this style of processing gave embodiment and pliability to their issue where drawings and writing were previously holding them back. In cases where the client had wrote pages of text as their response, they were asked to represent all that text in clay – this brightened them up and brought about significant changes in the resolution of their problem.

Thus the next iteration of EK processing was born:

• The Purpose + More of Emergent Modelling
• Emergent Modelling Materials
• Emergent Modelling Fundamentals
• Emergent Modelling and the Facilitator
• Emergent Modelling and the Client
• Processing with Emergent Modelling
• Emergent Modelling Processes
• Emergent Modelling Common Errors

The modelling table is any platform at which a client, standing or sitting, can work comfortably. It should be a minimum of 3 feet by 3 feet. The top surface where the work is done should be covered by a smooth, oil resistant material.

The facilitator's notes, if used, are kept on a side table or clipboard nearby; not on the modelling table.

Plasticine is perfect – note that Play-doh dries out and is not recommended. There should be about 500g of about 6 to 10 colours of clay available, this is sufficient for a client session or a training room. A container with its own stand, is also valuable; it should have subdivisions in it for the different coloured clays.

Small sculpting tools are also beneficial, these can be found online at reasonable prices.

Clients make their labels with small pieces of paper or card written on with a pen.

Care must be taken to keep students and particularly clients clean, and if not clean during, cleaned up afterwards. The facilitator should provide a supply of cleaning tissues and bins or baskets for the used tissues.

As clay is messy and can easily get on clothes and carpets; it is recommended that students and clients using it provide themselves with an old shirt; and the floor around the table should be protected by a mat.

It is recommended that a selection of good dictionaries, various sizes of plain paper and also the usual collection of pens, pencils and coloured markers are available for the client.

The client creates in clay the ideas, thoughts and images that emerge when being asked the processing questions. Usually the client will choose colours of clay which are significant to him, these are to have no significance to the facilitator and the discussion of such is not to occur.

Make sure you do not touch, move or take away the client’s clay.

Everything is labelled that is made in Emergent Modelling, no matter how bad the label is. The correct procedure is to make one object then put a label on it. This maintains the separation between form and significance.

Stick to the process and if the session deviates, manage the client's communication then get back to the session.

The facilitator should not be wandering off the course of the session, asking questions or disturbing the client's flow. The purpose of the facilitator here is to just ask the question or provide an instruction, gently but firmly.

You keep the steps of the process separate.

A positive result would be when the client is experiencing some or complete relief from their issue, with a noticeable improvement in physical and emotional well being, also known as Good Visual Indicators (GVI). Never leave a process until the original condition is in a better state than it was at the beginning. Always let the client finish the step they are on, before moving on to the next step.

Once the original condition vanishes, then begin again with a new focus or stop the session.

Full understanding and use of the communication cycle is vital to working with a client. It should be noted that when the client is in the middle of their session, the facilitator may actually acknowledge more often than she instructs; this is because at some point during the session the client begins to run the session themselves and the facilitator virtually becomes an observer of the process and is just there to keep the session rolling along smoothly.

The facilitator uses the communication cycle every time the client originates something he wants them to understand.

If the client can represent his issue in clay he understands it. If he can’t, then he really doesn’t understand what it is. Thus it follows, that if the facilitator can’t understand it, neither can the client as it is not clearly represented.

It is particularly important that the facilitator understands what the client's objects are and what the labels mean. The facilitator should always be working towards understanding what the client is demonstrating and why. If she doesn’t understand what the client is doing, then she gets the client to make her understand it, using labels and clay. This point is made here, as clients can get more upset on a faked understanding than by the facilitators continued efforts to gain understanding.

Also, the facilitator never asks a question to 'teach the client something' by some Socratic method. She is not trying to educate or influence the client, she is simply helping him clarify misunderstood meanings and clear up his puzzles about life.

• Never comment on the client or his work.
• Never evaluate for the client.
• Never tell the client what his models or difficulties are all about.
• Never tell the client what is wrong with him.
• Never contradict the client.
• Never set goals for the client or tell the client what he should be doing in life.
• Never suggest how it can be done.

Under the facilitator’s brief questioning or voluntarily the client tells the facilitator about each and every object he or she makes as it is made and labelled. Long winded discussions about the issue are not to be entered into. A good facilitator takes it easy, is interested and acknowledges when it is expected. The facilitator always acknowledges the client’s ideas, comments and protests.

No client progress occurs when the facilitator takes up too much time with non-process related activities. If the client is sarcastic or critical, acknowledge the communication and have the expressed emotions and comments represented in clay with labels.

• The client does the work.
• The client should be given a dictionary to look up terms and definitions before representing them in clay.
• The client handles all the forms and significances.
• The client sits on one side of the table and the facilitator sits opposite or to the side as per the client's instructions (see Clean Set Up).
• The client should be trained as to what is expected of him in Emergent Modelling including the meaning of 'represent'.
• The client must be satisfied that the information they give and their representations are true expressions of their predicament.

A major mistake is to fail to get the client to do it.

The client under the facilitator’s direction but with no coaching as to how, makes the required forms with labels. The facilitator does not suggest subjects, colours or forms.

With terms on which the client has no definition at all, the client can look them up in the dictionary or the facilitator can look them up for him.

The client may represent their issue and any related forms in clay, he may work on it as long as he likes. Just make sure he labels every thing. The client may also put aside or re-use the clay of objects already made.

The client may have to represent their issue over and over again; they may protest how it can’t be done, they may squirm and even try to declare it’s impossible, the facilitator acknowledges all this and simply gets the client to continue.