8 Hosting a Session

Session Introduction

Depending on the size and composition of your group, it may be useful to have participants introduce themselves or quickly share a few pertinent details (e.g., their role, faculty, years supervising, pronouns, etc.). If the group is large, it may be worth doing this in the small group discussion portion of the session instead.

It is good practice to begin the session with a land acknowledgement. If the session is online, you may wish to prompt your participants to share their own in chat. Likewise, note your own pronouns during the introduction. Participants could add them to nametags if the session is in person or add them to their display name if the session is online.

You can also use the scene summaries to give them an overview of the scene themes, and a sense of the characters they will encounter. Writing the names and roles of the characters in the scene somewhere prominent or in the chat can also be helpful for participants during the discussion.

Before streaming the scene, we recommend you briefly outline to participants what will happen during the session. Reiterate to the participants the intention and goal of the session. Remind participants that this is not a typical training session, and the scenes are not designed to straightforwardly depict the “right” or “wrong” way the situations depicted should be handled. Make it clear that participants are expected to contribute to both the small group discussion and the following debrief. Participants are expected to keep their video on during the session (except for while the scene is streaming).

Make it clear that participants can step out if needed and how they can access additional support. Content warnings for each scene are also provided. Feel free to add to these as appropriate. Given the theatrical nature of the scenes, they can elicit strong emotional responses and giving participants an overview of potential triggers is important. Note that these are not given to dissuade participants from participating. Instead, they provide participants with the option and allow for them to prepare themselves.

Emotional Responses

Before streaming the video, it is a good idea to remind participants that the scene is a) not a training video designed to depict an objectively “right” or “wrong” approach and b) a theatre scene. As a work of theatre, certain aspects of the scene may be exaggerated (albeit still based on real stories shared with the team) to evoke empathetic, emotional responses and discussion. As such, it is not uncommon for participants to experience stronger than expected emotional reactions while watching scenes.

Explicitly note the relevant content warnings listed for the scene and provide clear instructions to participants about what they can do if they need support or need to leave the room. If the session organizer or another facilitator is available, they could be designated as the point person to support participants if needed. Likewise, you may share the support list with them in advance and/or following a session, as well as having a printed copy on hand during the session.

Depending on the intensity of the emotional response, the facilitator may hold space for it and acknowledge the challenges that graduate school and graduate student supervision can bring to emotional wellbeing and mental health. Alternatively, the participant may prefer to remain in the discussion as a listener or remove themselves entirely. Regardless, honor their wishes and try to avoid isolating the individual or drawing unnecessary attention to them. After supporting the participant in the moment, and providing resources (Appendix A), the facilitator can direct the discussion towards more neutral ground.