I do not pretend to have any quick or easy solutions. The only thing I really know is that when we come face to face with suffering we have an obligation to stop if even for a few moments. We have to exit our offices, cubicles, and nurses stations, put away the text books and the psychiatric books, and simply enter into situations shrouded in suffering —the man crying, the
Gentle Teaching is not about anyone’s behaviors; it is about our values and our moral imaginations—what do we see as decent and good and what are our basic values. I believe that is why I agreed with the young caregiver when she told me to go out and work hands-on with the people. Another old memory that sticks in my heart involved my first visit to a psychiatric hospital. All
Another mother stands with her baby in the picture above. In even a brief encounter with anyone whose heart is broken or on the verge of breaking we can gain much insight into the human condition—so much suffering, yet the possibility of joy and the presence of hope. It is up to us, the caring community, to bring hope, warmth, and unconditional love. In our work we meet many suffering,
We must find joy in the midst of sorrow. In the most difficult encounters it can only be found in our hope. The mother and children in the picture above are obviously suffering. If we were to encounter them, we should ask ourselves what might we do. I do not pretend to know the answer; there might not be an immediate one in the global reality of hunger, thirst, and
Gentle Teaching Author Dea Engberg At Soedisbakke in Denmark, a domicile and activity centre for adults with developmental disabilities, and a workplace for social educators, they use a philosophy of actively practicing love and compassion at the work place. The idea is that showing love and compassion is part of the job description and constitutes a fundamental framework for the work of the staff. It is not so much a method