I attended a Women’s Leadership gathering and we used Life Island as a springboard for discussion and reflection.
I immediately saw how useful it will be in my work with counselling clients and in counselling supervision.
The PDF version is super appreciated as clients can be encouraged to write on and track their journey in sessions.
Deb McKee – Counsellor
I’m a great believer in the Life Island! I have used it a number of times now and it is so effective in helping people reflect, discern and be empowered. It engages everyone so well!
I used it today with our interns and a guest from Uganda. She is a pastor, who with her husband, lead a fast growing church in Kampala called Restoration Assembly. She fully connected with The Life Island and asked how to get one. Hence the online order that we as a church are gifting to her. If it doesn’t come in time she can take mine back with her to Uganda and I will use the new one. So be encouraged brother, The LIfe Island is going to Africa!
Kynan Brookes – Lead Pastor, Hope Valley Church – South Australia
This is a great new approach to pastoral/discipleship/supportive conversations. All the visuals and symbolism and metaphors are open ended and can be taken in so many directions. It will really appeal to certain types of people more than just word based auditory only discussions.
Life Island is a great tool for use with younger students as a game to provide opportunity to have positive life conversations.
Leanne Lawrence State Primary School Chaplain
I am a High School Chaplain with 20 years experience. While I have only used the Life Island map a few times so far, but it has already proven to be a great resource in helping teenagers tell their story and work through issues that they have. Instead of just being the teenager trying to talk to me and answer questions it gives a resource that sits between the two of us and the young person is simply talking about their life etc, through the items on the map. This makes the conversation less confronting and brings out a lot for the young person.
Darren shared this story: “I used it with a girl who had experienced a lot of past trauma and current family disfunction and was living rough. I brought out the Life Island map and it really helped her tell her story in a clear way. I had spoken to her many times before but through the Life Island map it brought out parts of her story that she had never spoken about before including some hope for the future.”
Outcomes: “Ease of the person telling the story and giving language to you. Also able to use it to pick future places to be to help with motivation and action planning.”
Darren Lawrence, Chaplain Gin Gin High School
I found it most useful as an initial appointment icebreaker. It opened up deep conversation very early. One young man was very uncertain about coming to my Office. I told him a story about my previous afternoon and we used the Life Island to help describe my emotions and thoughts in the story. That set the model for him and away he went.”
“Gave me a shared focal point so that one on one conversations were less confronting at the start. Great way to kick off future conversations by referring back to the previous Life Island discussion. Outstanding reflective tool for students. Helped them set a goal because they could describe where they’d rather be which helped us to imagine and discuss the strategy/ingredients required to get there.”
The Life Island resource is visually captivating and evokes terrific stories of what has been and what could be for the participants. So much discussion ensues from exploring the Island. Funny stories and deep confronting truths.
Dave Hockey State High School Chaplain
I have found it an extremely useful visual tool to help boys express how they are feeling about their current situation, as well as where they would prefer to be.
Brad Laing State High School Chaplain
So this happened last night spontaneously at Youth Group. A few were speaking about how life is pretty tough atm. So, a Life Island discussion was had.
Actually worked so well. People opened up and shared. Basically, Intro- life can be good and bad, smooth and tough. And then 2 questions; 1. Where is life for you at the moment? (Sharing and some discussion), and 2. Where would you like to life to be in 6 months? (Personal reflection around what they could do to get there).
Tim Griggs
Tim Griggs [Rev] Youth and Community Chaplain
“A student who I had been working with for a DIP (Disciplinary Intervention Plan) had lots of changes in her world. The life Island map supported the conversations we were having about identifying what proactive steps she needed to move from what spot on the island to the next. The tool is visually engaging, and I found that we could have more engaging discussions by using it.”
“I noticed that students engaged well with the map, especially as it is not a familiar tool utilised by support services. They were excited by the tokens and took time to explore where they felt they were on the island.”
Talia Fiyen: State high School Chaplain.