The adult communication workshop used paper name cards plus no introductions beyond chosen pseudonyms. Nina became Mira, while I selected Ko after discovering every more imaginative option felt like performance. Twelve adults occupied chairs arranged in six pairs around a bright counseling room.
The facilitators introduced themselves as Doctor Asha plus Mister Leon, matching the credentials we had already verified. They repeated that every exercise could be skipped, no recording was allowed, plus leaving required no public explanation.
Nina chose the accessible side-aisle seat we had planned during registration. Her overnight bag remained at home, keeping attendance separate from any assumed intimacy afterward.
The first exercise asked one partner to describe a low-stakes frustration for ninety seconds. The listener could respond only through a summary plus one question concerning what support felt useful.
