Every Thursday evening I teach Trauma and Mental Health at the University of Calgary to Master's and Bachelor's level students at the Faculty of Social Work. Yesterday a peer of mine shared this article with me in preparation for her guest lecture tonight, wherein she will be discussing her therapy with children affected by violence in our community. If ever there was a message I would like to share- its THIS.
"Women hurt by violence demand our attention and respect for all the ways they are protecting and surviving. Their children demand our urgency, curiosity and skill.
The right questions can pave the way for new understanding and they can honour resistance. And for those of us responsible for making decisions about children, the right questions are only fair. How can we judge a woman’s capacity to protect if we are not deeply interested in how she copes? How can we consider severing the bond between mother and child if we are not motivated to know its depth?"
Kate Alexander, 2019
