Safety & Transformation

ROSALIND PEARMAIN presents the results of her qualitative research on the transformative benefits of creating a safe haven for transformation to occur .

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It can be deeply challenging to open our hearts to the needs of the many human beings who feel that home is a dangerous place, who desperately seek a safe haven. A few years back, I had the chance to discover from a group of teenagers just how transformative a safe haven can be. This happened in a creative arts summer camp in a space held by two spiritual organizations – the Quakers and the Heartfulness Institute at the Heartfulness retreat centre in Vrads Sande, Denmark. I carried out some research with some of the young people to find out why these events were so powerful in their lives, and I found that the most important and transformative element for them in the experience was the sense of being in a safe haven, feeling really safe, and feeling welcomed as they crossed the threshold. They did not feel judged. They were really able to be themselves. Sadly, this was