Update From Brits Home Psychologist Mr Way
My name is Myster Way JEAN BAPTISTE. I am the psychologist at Brit’s Home. I studied psychology at the State University of Haiti in Port-au-Prince. Before coming to Brit’s home, I was working with children with developmental disorders. Then I worked at an institution where I participated in personal development for many young people in Cité-Soleil who were in vulnerable situations.
Since arriving here at Brit's home, I realized that I was at home because since my first day I have received so much affection from the children. I told myself that first day that this is my place. When I am in contact with the children, it is as if I am caught in a trap of admiration and it is difficult to get out.
My job here is to provide psychological assistance to the children by being attentive to them individually and taking into account their emotional needs from their pasts, because often in Haiti children are cared for physically but not emotionally. I do traumatic care for them where they have the opportunity to talk about their situations before coming to Brit's home in order to develop their resilience.
During our group therapies, we do relaxation exercises. We share our experiences with each other while being mutually empathetic towards each other. For example, we do an interactive story session with different age groups, arranged in the form of a circle, where any child can share something personal with the group. Afterwards, we show them empathy by telling them a phrase or a word that symbolizes courage and strength. And if necessary, I see them individually afterwards.
As psychiatrist Ronald David Laing says, we consider children as a holistic framework as people with desires, emotions, modes of thinking differently and especially who need affection.
The American humanist psychologist Carl Rogers said that “Every human has a tendency to self-actualize an innate potential that allows him to become better in order to realize himself.” At Brit's home, our children, regardless of their family or social background, are loved and accepted unconditionally without distinction. Indeed, it is believed that each child among our 66 children, as everywhere else, has a strong potential for development and self-fulfillment, which develops on its own and needs to be revived by accepting them as they are and by loving them for who they are. We try daily, in a positive way, to help them to recover from the difficulties they have faced in their pasts and to become empowering future world leaders. Brit's home is not only a home for children, it is also a family with many values where children are not judged according to their behavior and they are helped to become empathetic towards everyone.
At present, our children have developed a caring attitude towards everyone in the community, they have learned to listen to the emotional needs of others, and to be socially intelligent. In fact, they are really admirable and very talented.
I feel very honored to contribute to this noble project of educating and raising the next generation of leaders in Haiti.
Myster Way JEAN BAPTISTE
