Happy New Year and the ‘Good Life’ Paradox “Happy New Year! I hope that for you and your family, it is a year of much happiness, health and success!” This salutation, and many versions of it, flood our social media feeds on this, the first day of 2019. It is a customary greeting (at least […]
Stranger (is not always) Danger
Stranger (is not always) Danger How might we engage with others in ways that seek ‘connection’, rather than efficacy? What may we do to move toward ‘meeting’ others (even if only for a brief moment), rather than attending ‘meetings’ where the only purpose is outcomes? Why at times can we feel challenged connecting with new […]
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Just Hangin’ Out…
Just Hangin’ Out… One of the privileges of working in a community-led, service oriented organisation, is that I come across some remarkable people. Remarkable, not because they are heroes who save the day, not because they perform magic that miraculously turns pain into pleasure, and not because they have a super power that transforms darkness […]
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Suicide Prevention – a Social Psychological Perspective
Suicide Prevention – a Social Psychological Perspective Prelude: In June 2013, I joined the first cohort of students in post-graduate studies in the Social Psychology of Risk (SPoR), a program developed and presented by Dr Robert Long and Craig Ashhurst. After 5 years participating in a ‘learning adventure’ and through much ‘social sensemaking’, I offer […]
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Walk With Us – In Community
Walk With Us – In Community I recently sat with a friend who was in pain. Not of the physical type that I could see, but instead their pain was on the inside. They were hurting in a way that I couldn’t understand. Naturally, I wanted their pain to go away, as like most people, […]
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Models From Social Sensemaking
Models From Social Sensemaking First published here In this piece I introduce you to two of the semiotic models developed in my first book Social Sensemaking. Firstly, The Decision Tree and then The Trade-offs Model. The Decision Tree Why is it challenging to accept that many of our ideas and thoughts originate in our unconscious? […]
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Support and Empowerment… in Helping Others
Support and Empowerment… in Helping Others How may our worldview influence our method when it comes to training and also helping others? If we do not acknowledge our own worldview, what impact may this have in how we support others? Also, how can we even begin to ponder what our worldview is, and so consider […]
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safeTALK Suicide Alertness Program
safeTALK Suicide Alertness Program What do you say when you feel someone may be having thoughts of suicide? If you ask a person about suicide does this increase the chance that they may think about it, even if they weren’t in the first place? If a person is thinking of suicide, do you have to […]
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I was Offloaded!
I was Offloaded! Why is it that even with ample information, and despite ‘knowing‘ differently, that sometimes our ‘feeling of risk’ may override, or at least heavily influence, our response to it? Also, how could someone who has studied and reflected on it in a rather intimate way for the last six years, not control […]
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Do we Need a Different Way of Being in Safety?
Do we Need a Different Way of Being in Safety? There are many people working in Safety who seek a ‘different’ way of engaging with others, and rightly so. The current policing and patrolling approaches adopted by many, seem to be doing little to support people in how they tackle the challenges of risk. Some […]
