It was a real privilege to have the opportunity to talk to today’s guest on 'The Well Teacher Podcast': Professor Paul Gilbert. Paul Gilbert is a professor of clinical psychology, and the author of over twenty books, including the bestsellers ‘The Compassionate Mind’ and ‘Overcoming Depression.’
He was recently awarded an OBE for his services to psychology, after a forty year career. He established the Compassionate Mind Foundation in 2006 as an international charity with the mission statement: "To promote wellbeing through the scientific understanding and application of compassion.”
In our conversation we explore what that compassionate approach to difficulties is, and how it is vital during the current situation. Paul then offers teachers a range of practical strategies that might help manage the stress and anxiety of the current situation, including how we can make the return to school based working as calm and easeful for ourselves and young people as possible.
Towards the end of the conversation we also explore how we can best support young people both through home working, and when they do return to school – in what ever setting that may be.
I hope that you find the interview as helpful as I did, in this particularly stressful and demanding time for everyone in education.