ISRS Seminar: Richard Cleveland: Children and Silence
Participants from nine countries (Canada, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Poland, UK, and USA) attended the second ISRS (International Society for Research on Solitude) Seminar on the 22nd April 2021. Dr Richard Cleveland presented the theme “Children and Silence”. Richard is an associate professor and program director of the Counselor Education Program at Georgia Southern University, USA. His research interests include mindfulness, school counseling, and psycho-physiological responses to traumatic incidents. He has published on student wellness in schools, contemplative practices and mindfulness interventions with first responders. Additionally, Richard is a practicing nationally board-certified mental health clinician.
Thanks to the speech the listeners could have experienced the depth and complexity hidden in the small word ‘silence’ referred to the educational and therapeutic practices with children. After an overview of common cultural expectations on silence – mainly negative ones – a synopsis of definitional aspects of silence was given. Understood as “a fertile mood in which the self is enriched and strengthened” (Elson), silence poses a component of healthy development and well-being, is present in various examples of religious formation, and proves more relaxing than the most relaxing genres of music. Determining the character of healthy silence, the presenter underlined its intentional character: the awareness of agency and autonomy is needed here, which might be gained by the use of mindfulness – a subject of common myths to be dispelled. The practice, which is paying attention in a particular way, is not ‘just a meditation’ or ‘panacea for stress’; does not relate only to the Buddhist tradition and can’t be properly practiced by apps and workshops (“McMindfulness” traps). Next, mindfulness was presented as a tool pursuing awareness and acceptance in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to resolve tensions between opposing thesis and antithesis forces through synthesis. Richard described the relevance of the practices to P-12 Trauma-Informed Education, especially facing the consequences of Covid-19 pandemic, which magnified all the children’s previous challenges.
The presentation was followed by a vivid discussion. Dr Cleveland was asked about the meaning of acceptance (“Should we always accept where we are or who we are called upon to be?”), the role of silence through faith traditions, places in the curriculum where mindfulness can be practiced, etc. We encourage you to look at the recording, published below.