The role of “mentor” can be a teacher, caregiver, facilitator, therapist, parent, partner, friend, etc., who incorporates the four lessons or “pillars’ of a Gentle Teaching pedagogy into their practice, and applies the interdependent principles of the relationship-building framework to their interactions.
A framework of Gentle Teaching cultivates a relational dynamic that is critical for meaningful, mentoring dialogue (verbal and non-verbal). While this dynamic can naturally occur in families and other social structures, its accessibility is often out of reach for marginalized and/or traumatized individuals.
In mentoring and/or working in the field of social services, it is essential that the social-emotional aspect of human awareness and growth is acknowledged, validated, and integrated.
