“Gentle Teaching is about unconditional love. It recognizes that many people are burdened with memories of distrust and fear and that their hearts are broken. It focuses on teaching them a sense of companionship. Through this process, violent behaviors begin to disappear and new ones emerge.”
Gentle Teaching incorporates compassion as an alternative to the reactive and restrictive practices that are commonplace in working with those who present with complex needs. Our central purpose is to nurture; teach; and sustain a sense of companionship, connectedness, and community for those who have repeatedly experienced an existence of disconnectedness, isolation and loneliness.
Gentle Teaching is based on the premise that all individuals have a right to feel safe and valued in their homes; with their families and caregivers; and at their job, school, or other forms of meaningful day activities. Those who are most vulnerable require predictability and structure in their day. They also need to experience interactions from others that are overwhelmingly positive and uplifting (vs. critical and demanding). This is truly a cultural shift to, or in some cases a deepening of, those principles that provide a solid base for helping individuals experience companionship and connectedness. It serves as a foundation for other models of treatment or teaching specific to the needs of the individual.
Gentle teaching is the expression of what McGee describes as the Psychology of Interdependence. According to this psychology, every human being needs to live connected with others in an equal and mutual relationship, and embedded in a loving and caring community. This community invites the individual to develop his qualities for the benefit of himself/herself and the community.
The relationship, which is the basis for social development, is called companionship, and has four pillars:
Feeling safe is the foundation for building trusting, meaningful relationships; this includes feeling emotionally, physically, psychologically and environmentally safe.
Our goal is to create cultures of support where everyone feels valued, regardless of their interactional challenges. Recognizing that behaviours are a symptom of feeling emotionally unsafe, a person does not need to earn our approval. Supporting a person to experience the unconditionally of relationship is essential.
To truly be a part of community, one must find value in being in relationship with others. It is a caregiver’s responsibility to demonstrate the skills necessary to become connected to the people around us, assisting others to nurture meaningful relationships.
In order to live fulfilling lives, people need to have purpose in their days. Discovering ways to get involved in meaningful activities, finding value in relationship, and building connections within community is an essential aspect of one’s life journey.
the central purpose of our presence in the lives of others is to nurture, teach, and sustain the experience of connectedness, companionship, and community.
