PART VI: Phil's Training as the First Self-Help Panel Leader
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TREASURE: Well, Phil, I'm eager to get on with our discussion of the development of the self-help panel. You recall that in the last issue of The Reporter, you mentioned that I had asked you to meet me at Recovery headquarters because I had noticed a change in your leadership of the panel.
PHIL: Yes, we were discussing that I really was not aware of any abrupt changes because it had been such a gradual process of development under Dr. Low's supervision. Was there something specific that you noticed?
TREASURE: There were several things, but mainly it was a shift of emphasis that caught my attention. My training in leadership had taken place during the very early development of Recovery and, at that time, the leader was considered more of an authority--deriving this authority directly from Dr. Low. In those days, Recovery was still professionally supervised by him. For instance, most of the members of the Brighton, Michigan group, which I started in 1947, had either seen Dr. Low in his Chicago office or, I had asked him questions concerning their training in Recovery.
PHIL: As I recall, you had only one small group in Michigan, and it remained fairly static with mainly the same members for several years.
TREASURE: That's right, our meetings were very informal; we were a close group, meeting in my home. We related our examples to one another and discussed the Recovery literature. Then, the Detroit Free Press, which has a large statewide circulation, published a full-page feature on our little group. Overnight, we were swamped with letters from people wanting to join Recovery. In fact, 36 people showed up at our next meeting; one of them a minister who offered his church parlor as a meeting place. Forty people attended the following meeting.
PHIL: As the leader, what was your reaction to this sudden influx of new people?
TREASURE: I was at a loss to know how to conduct this meeting with all those "strangers". I gave an example, and someone else bravely gave kind of a testimonial. Then, a newcomer started to ask questions--how long had it taken me to get well--how did he know I was well--how long would it take him to get well? The nervous symptoms I was having right then made me wonder how long I would have to suffer before that meeting would end! I phoned Dr. Low the next day and bombarded him with questions--"what if this takes place--what if that happens--what will I do if...?"
PHIL: What did Dr. Low have to say about all of this?
TREASURE: He laughed and said, "From what you tell me, Treasure, you are now in touch with hundreds of people who need Recovery. Your 'what ifs' can best be answered if and when the problems take place, then, we will take care of it. In the meantime, can you come to Chicago and attend more of Phil's afternoon classes?" I said I could--and I did--shortly thereafter. Perhaps, it was our needs in Michigan which made the changes in the panel seem so significant.
PHIL: Just exactly what were the changes, and how did you feel these changes would help you?
TREASURE: Well, the panel, as you led it, had taken on much more structure than I had seen before. The emphasis now had been shifted from the leader to the members of the group and to their interpretation of how the Revovery principles could be applied to the example. By then, 1952, Dr. Low had developed the panel into the self-help panel as we know it today, with the emphasis on the group, rather than the leader. As I observed the technique, I noticed that every once in a while you would ask a question about fearful temper or self-diagnosing. And, I noticed you glancing at your watch and reminding them when their five minutes for giving the example had come to an end. The one thing that helped me most was what I called the "questioning technique". As a leader, I could see that it wasn't necessary for the leader to expound on any particular Recovery principle. It was far better to ask a question and then allow the group to think it through for themselves.
PHIL: Yes, those were the fundamental leadership techniques that I picked up from Dr. Low's demonstration as he trained me in self-help panel leadership. But, perhaps, it still isn't clear how you felt this would help Recovery in Michigan. Can you elaborate just a little?
TREASURE: With the emphasis shifted from the leader to the group--and with a definite structure to follow--I knew that several of our Michigan members could be trained to help the group follow the procedures Dr. Low had developed. New groups could be started and each member could then participate in an atmosphere of self-training and mutual aid. The leader's responsibility would be to demonstrate his own practice and to help the group stay within the structure.
PHIL: In actual practice, how did it work?
TREASURE: The rest is history, Phil. Recovery in Michigan grew and grew and, I'm proud to say, is still growing. But, let me point out some other important results of that particular visit to Chicago. While I was there observing your leadership techniques, Dr. Low pointed out to me that each member would have to rely on his own physician for professional help and, that the authority for self-help would be in Recovery's literature and the group procedures. He comforted me by saying he was extremely pleased with developments in Michigan. He also said that he would be sending you to help us train leaders so that we could form groups for those on our waiting list.
PHIL: He was as good as his word--I believe I made seven or eight trips to Michigan for training sessions that year!
TREASURE: You sure did! It all sounds so much easier than it really was. You really have the patience of Job with us, Phil, reminding us again and again of the group procedures as you had learned them from Dr. Low. Actually, we fumbled and blundered a lot before we found the solution to training leaders. Maybe, in a future article, we could bring out some of those experiences and you can tell us about the developments in Chicago and other parts of the country.
PHIL: Sounds good to me! This is an important part of Recovery's history. It was during this time that Dr. Low finally turned the organization over to its members. I'll be looking forward to getting together with you in the next issue!
