Transcript:

Recently, I have been turning my mind to the notion of unconditional positive regard and how we deploy that when working with deeply hurt and troubled young people. So I think it’s really important to have straight in our own minds what unconditional positive regard looks like in our work with deeply hurt and troubled children and young people. In my view, it doesn’t mean that we maintain a positive demeanour even when the child or young person is engaging in or has engaged in problematic behaviour.

It is okay to show disapproval. However, our disapproval shouldn’t be experienced by them as the end of the relationship, nor should our disapproval be experienced by these children and young people that they are beyond our positive regard. Rather, we should maintain a positive regard for them irrespective of behaviours of concern.