A Framework for Formative Processing

Created by: Eva K. Galvey

Starting point:
Personal issues or concerns that arise in the course of formation (or religious life) and which
obstruct the person’s development (or living out) of religious/priestly identity, integration to
community, apostolic effectivity, and internalization of spiritual values (or charism of the
congregation/institute).

After empathy statements facilitator-

1. Assists person in identifying his personal concern: Example – anger

2. Assists person in articulating how this concern is an issue? Example – I am making too
many enemies, even if what I really desire is not to have enemies or have more friends

3. Makes the person describe more fully, more concretely, the identified concern or issue
and its context. Example – when does the anger manifest itself (during sports time only),
how often, is the anger provoked or unprovoked, what and/or who provokes it (when
my own team not winning game), thoughts and feelings associated with anger,
behavioral expressions of anger, consequences on self, others, relationships, vocation.

4. Helps the person determine if concern within normal range or unhealthy. If unhealthy,
helps the person uncover what feeds the behavior. Example – anger fed by need to win,
by desire to avoid experience of failure, erroneous beliefs (people who fail are worthless
persons), childhood experiences/conditioning, etc.

5. Helps the person explore the possible benefits from letting go of that unhealthy
attitude.

6. Helps the person determine what would motivate him/herself to let go of the unhealthy
attitude and whether or not he is sufficiently motivated to let go of the unhealthy
concern.

7. If the person is sufficiently motivated to move beyond the unhealthy attitude, work out
ways of experimenting with new behavior.