Transforming Lives: Participants AND Staff

by Larena Mills, Emerge Director

In July, we had two single, women participants in Emerge that needed a new class to attend. The facilitators I needed were not available for the classes I had planned, and I was at a loss for what class I should put them in. Then one of them dropped the program. I ended up starting a pilot class called How We Love for Singles. I didn’t have a facilitator, so I took on the job. We had another single participant (a staff member) join us to make class discussions go a little further.

How We Love is a robust class that helps people identify their emotional “Love Style”, which gives us the ability – or inability – to love and be loved. It gives practical tools to help us grow in our relationship skills. We watched the video lectures, and, as we went through the class, I realized how much I needed the class too. I am learning that I was affected a lot by my circumstances as a child and I have been using my childhood coping skills to shape my current relationships. Sometimes that is healthy, and other times, not so much. It’s been a blessing to have a small class so we can share some intimate details about our childhood and practice new ways of relating to others. I have grown so much as an adult, but there is still so much more to learn!