I hosted the Social Solar System workshop for my team of direct service case managers at EveryStep. As case managers, we provide social support to the clients we see everyday in their homes. We are used to being part of other people’s social solar systems, but we are often not comfortable asking others for support. I thought this would be a thought-provoking activity for my team members to explore who they rely on for support, especially when we are so used to supporting others.

I was blown away by the vulnerability and depth this prompt created for my co-workers. As everyone worked on their social support system diagram, an intimate and deep conversation started that lasted the whole group.

One participant bravely shared that this exercise was very challenging for her, and she wasn’t sure who to put. She shared that she feels safe and supported at work, and she knows she can be vulnerable, but in her personal life it doesn’t feel safe to ask for help from her family or her church. She shared about how it is challenging to ask for help when you are used to being the go-to person.

Other participants in the group shared similar sentiments. Some shared how they feel like they can rely on their partners or their parents, but only for certain things, such as financial support, but not always for emotional support. We had a fruitful conversation about different types of support, who we receive it from, and how it is hard to ask for support, even if we know we need it.

We also identified gaps in our social support systems, and how we can be better at identifying when we need support, and have the courage to ask for it.