Quotes participants training ‘A Theory of Presence’ – Mongolia

Quotes participants training ‘A Theory of Presence’ Ulaan Bator / Mongolia 7 – 11 may 2018

And further from other participants:

  • ‘It has changed my way of thinking’
  • ‘This training shows my weaknesses’
  • ‘This training is very relevant for the work I do’
  • ‘I learned that clients like to be understood and accepted’
  • ‘I understand that role models are important and needed’
  • ‘I learned that it is important to stay with the client and try to find connection’
  • ‘Clients and employees are one team. I’ve learned that equivalence is important’
  • ‘We want to see quick results. I’ve learned to take time for the client and have patience’
  • ‘I learned what the essence of communication is: namely, patience, equality and humility’
  • ‘We draw conclusions too quickly. I have learned that it is good to look from different perspectives’
  • ‘As social workers we do much for clients, but I have learned how important it is to really be present for them’
  • ‘In the beginning of the training I was a little frustrated. I even considered not to participate anymore. But the day later I came to understand the client at a deeper level’

GNS | ‘A Theory of Presence’   5 days training

 Good and loving care for people in extremely marginalised positions
An intense and professional relational approach instead of a problem solving one

In our last news edition we informed you about the preparations for the ‘Theory of Presence’ training week. This training happened last week and we are looking back with relief and gratitude. It went beyond our expectations. Altogether we had a group of about 50 participants from various backgrounds and governmental and non-governmental care organizations. Besides our own staff we had nurses, doctors, social workers, church workers, psychologists, and care workers from mental health clinics and addiction care centers.

Sjaak & Renate

Sjaak Monster from ‘De Hoop’ addiction & mental care centre, the Netherlands, was our trainer for this week. With him also came Renate Goeloe who has been trained as ‘experience expert’ at De Hoop’s training school. Sjaak himself has visited Mongolia two times in 2016 and 17 for the Sergelt project and is a great help coaching us.
He presented the ‘theory of presence’ with much clarity, a personal touch and with sensitivity to the backgrounds of all participants. The cooperation with our translator Otgo went very well. All participants joined in enthusiastically and there was much interaction.

Aspects of presence

Many participants indicated that they recognize certain aspects of ‘presence’ in the way they already work. They said that their way of providing care, how they look at people’s situations and how they judge and measure (the value of) life and each human being has been greatly challenged and changed. They want to apply what has been learned as much as possible in their work places and pass it on to their colleagues and employers. Our GNS staff have also been greatly encouraged and benefited from this training in our different ministries.

Changing perspectives

Amongst other things we’ve learned the importance of changing perspectives (to step into the shoes of others) in order to understand their situation and act more approriately.
We discovered how our own prejudices and perspectives influence the way we look at, think about and act towards the people in need of our help.
We learned how to be more sensitive to the deeper longings (for understanding and real concern) that is behind a spoken request for help.
How to ‘be with’ persons in need before ‘acting for’ persons in need.
We discussed the needs and hindrances of rules and protocols and the freedom and responsibility a ‘presence practicioner’ would need to decide when deviating from the rules is the better choice.
How to deal with suffering that cannot, or only partly, be solved. What is proper comfort, what is it not. etc. 

Practice


We hope that the participants will continue and practice what they have been keenly learning, and that their work settings will allow them to use aspects of the ‘presence approach’. We also hope that those who are dependent on our care will sense that they are seen and heard, that what happens in their lives matters to us and they may experience our care as good care whether or not their situation can be solved. And we hope that in the future there will be another possibility to continue teaching on this important topic.

Support

Thank you so much for partnering with us and for supporting our work! For more information about GNS please contact us (below) or visit our website(currently only Sergelt project website). Soon we’ll be launching GNS’s main website that will cover all areas of work in Ulaanbaatar (Hailaast and Sergelt) and our branch in Uvs province.

Graduated