Workshop run by Jen Grace

Title: The Rarely Spoken-About Addiction: Dependency on Services (Especially within Mental Health & A&E)

Facilitator: Jen Grace, Founder of Reflective Gap

Overview: Join Jen Grace, the founder of Reflective Gap, for a powerful and transformative workshop. Jen will share her personal journey from living in the shadow of service dependency to founding Reflective Gap, a platform for lived experience speakers.

Description: In this workshop, Jen will take you through her experiences of growing identification as "the patient," which led her down a path of manipulation and self-destruction. She will discuss how she began to understand the roots of her dependency and what she needed to change to live as a person she likes and respects.

This workshop is not just about Jen's story; it's an opportunity to explore why so many people develop a deep co-dependency on systems meant to support them and what draws us into that cycle. Most importantly, we will explore how to break free from this dependency with honesty, humor, self-awareness, and purpose.

Objectives:

• Understand the often-unspoken addiction to service dependency.

• Unpack the reasons behind the development of co-dependency on support systems.

• Learn strategies to break free from this cycle with honesty, humor, self-awareness, and purpose.

Interactive Elements:

• Group Discussions: Participants will engage in small group discussions to share their own experiences and insights on service dependency.

• Role-Playing Exercises: Through role-playing scenarios, participants will explore different perspectives and practice strategies for breaking free from dependency.

• Reflective Journaling: Attendees will be encouraged to keep a reflective journal throughout the workshop to document their thoughts, feelings, and progress.

• Q&A Session: An open Q&A session with Jen Grace, where participants can ask questions and seek advice on their personal journeys.

Target Audience: Anyone interested in understanding service dependency, including individuals with lived experiences, mental health professionals, and those working in A&E,probation,HMS staff and prisoners. 

Call to Action: If you want to understand this often-unspoken addiction and join a conversation that empowers real change, reach out. We’d love to have you with us.