5.3 Interactive story branching scenario
Interactive story branching scenario
Interactive History Feedback
Scene 1: First session with the new group
You are Alex, a coach facilitating a weekly movement and games session in a community centre. The group includes young adults who are survivors or at risk of trafficking, referred by a local NGO. You know some may experience hypervigilance, dissociation, and strong reactions to touch or noise, but you do not know individual stories. Today is the first day of a 6-week cycle. The room is bright and private, and you have agreed with the NGO that a psychosocial worker (Lina) is nearby if needed. As participants arrive, one young woman, Sara, stands near the door, arms crossed, scanning the room. She keeps her bag on her shoulder and avoids eye contact. You explain the plan briefly: “We’ll do some gentle warm-up, a simple game, and then stretching and breathing at the end. You can always choose a lighter option, sit out, or just watch.”
Then you invite everyone to show how they feel using a simple gesture (thumbs up / sideways / down), saying they don’t have to talk if they don’t want to. Most give a sign; Sara does nothing and looks at the floor. What do you do?
A. Call on Sara directly: “Sara, you didn’t show anything. Can you tell us how you’re feeling so we know you’re really taking part?”
Feedback: This approach increases pressure and may feel like interrogation, especially for survivors used to being forced to respond. It risks undermining safety and trustworthiness because it singles Sara out and links her value to visible participation.
B. Repeat to the whole group: “It’s okay to just listen or watch today. You can join in whenever you feel ready. No one has to explain their reasons.” Then move on without pressuring Sara.
Feedback: This response honours choice & control: you normalise different ways of taking part and show that being in the room is already acceptable engagement. You also maintain psychological safety by not forcing disclosure or attention on Sara.
C. Ignore the reactions and jump immediately into a fast, competitive running game to “break the ice”.
Feedback: Skipping the gentle start and choice explanation can raise arousal and anxiety, particularly for people with hypervigilance. It overlooks the need for predictability and calm and may cause some participants to withdraw.
Scene 2.1: The rushed warm-up
You begin a quick running game with loud clapping and excited shouting. Some participants enjoy it, but two stand at the back and barely move. Sara stays near the door, doing the smallest possible version of each action. When you clap loudly to signal a change of direction, she suddenly freezes, her breathing speeds up, and she stares into the distance. How do you respond?
A. Call out over the music: “Don’t stop now, Sara! Keep going, no excuses – we’re all tired!”
Feedback: This reproduces “no-excuses” pressure and ignores signs of distress such as freezing and rapid breathing, which may be trauma responses. It risks re-traumatization and sends the message that performance is more important than safety.
B. Ask another participant loudly, “Can you check in with her?” while you continue leading the group.
Feedback: Talking about Sara publicly can feel shaming and exposing. It undermines safety and collaboration by turning her reaction into a spectacle instead of a signal to adjust the environment.
C. Quietly lower the music, walk over, and say softly, “I noticed that change felt intense. Would you like to take a break by the wall and just watch for a bit?”
Feedback: You are recognising possible trauma cues and offering choice and agency in the moment. By adjusting intensity and offering concrete options, you demonstrate trustworthiness and help Sara regulate instead of forcing her through discomfort.
Scene 2.2: The predictable start
Because you clearly outlined the session and repeated that everyone can choose their level of involvement, the group moves into a gentle warm-up with more ease. You use simple, slow movements and keep your voice calm and steady. Sara follows at her own pace, staying near the door. When you invite participants to pair up for a ball-passing activity with light hand taps, she hesitates and looks around. Lina, the psychosocial worker, observes quietly from the side. How do you set up the activity?
A. Say: “You can choose: work with a partner, work alone with the ball, or just watch this round. All options are okay.” Then you demonstrate each option.
Feedback: Offering clear options makes autonomy visible and teaches that bodies and participation levels truly belong to the individual. This supports empowerment and helps participants experiment with movement at their own pace.
B. Say: “Everyone must have a partner. If someone stays out, the game doesn’t work, so please all join in fully.”
Feedback: Requiring full participation removes choice & control and can feel similar to coercion experienced during exploitation. It also ignores that just staying in the room and observing may already be a big step for some survivors.
C. Assign partners quickly yourself to save time and pair Sara with the most energetic participant.
Feedback: Removing participant choice about partners and intensity may increase anxiety and reduce trust. This approach prioritises efficiency over safety and collaboration.
Scene 3.1: Trust not yet established
Later in the session, the group plays a competitive relay with cheering and time pressure. Some participants get louder; others become quieter. Sara steps further back and eventually stops participating. When the session ends, time is short. People start leaving quickly. Sara lingers near the door, holding her bag tightly. How do you close?
A. You rush to Sara and say cheerfully: “Next time, I want to see you participate more. That’s how this will really help you!”
Feedback: Linking future welcome to “more participation” echoes conditional acceptance and can feel like pressure or blame. It undermines empowerment and may discourage Sara from returning.
B. You pack equipment and let everyone leave without a closing routine: “Thanks, see you next time!” shouted from across the room.
Feedback: Ending abruptly without grounding can leave participants in a dysregulated state, increasing anxiety or avoidance of future sessions. It misses a vital chance to support regulation and continuity.
C. You gather the group for a 2-minute breathing and stretching cool-down, then invite anyone who wants to stay and talk to do so, but you do not approach individuals.
Feedback: Even a brief, predictable cool-down supports the nervous system to settle and signals that emotional state matters, not just activity. However, not checking in individually with someone who clearly withdrew may still leave them feeling unseen. Individual check-ins do not require calling someone out in front of the group. They can be subtle, optional, and private.
Scene 3.2: Building safety and agency
Sara spends part of the session observing and part joining a low-intensity version of the movements. She still stays close to the door but occasionally mirrors your stretches. At the end, you guide a 5-minute cool-down with slow breathing and simple stretches, inviting participants to notice their feet on the floor and the contact with the mat. You then offer a non-verbal way to reflect: coloured cards that participants can drop in a box near the exit (green = “felt good enough”, yellow = “mixed”, red = “hard”). Sara takes a yellow card and pauses near you. How do you respond?
A. Say softly: “Thank you for being here today. How are you feeling right now? You don’t need to share details. Is there anything you need before you leave today, like a moment, some water, or to speak with Lina?”
Feedback: This shows trustworthiness and collaboration: you invite, but do not force, sharing, and you connect the sport space with wider support safely. Naming that she can choose what to say respects boundaries and reinforces control. When checking in individually, you should avoid open-ended questions that invite personal disclosure. Questions should focus on immediate comfort, safety, or practical support related to the session.
B. Smile and say loudly, “See, that wasn’t so bad! Next time you’ll be ready for more, right?”
Feedback: This minimises her mixed feelings and adds mild pressure about “doing more” next time, which can undermine safety and choice. It also risks shame if she is not ready to increase intensity.
C. Avoid interacting in case you “open something up”, and just say “Bye, see you” from a distance.
Feedback: Avoiding any individual contact may be interpreted as disinterest or rejection, especially by those with previous abandonment experiences. It misses an opportunity to consolidate trust.