Matriz de Análisis

Hadley‟s model of pastoral care with children in trauma bridges the gap that exists in the pastoral ministry of children. Titled the “Principles of Blessing Based Spiritual Nature”

this model allows children with the company of a spiritual support provider to name their pain, spend time with God, and move from despair to hope, finding peace through discovering spiritual integration (Hadley 2007:10). In agreement, Pretorious, Morgan, Mhaka-Mutepfa, Ngoma and Mayekiso et al. (2011:186) argue that children in crisis, particularly “Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) require both psychosocial and emotional support to address their wellbeing.” Hadley‟s (2007:10) model has four steps:

1. Holy Listening, during which a child shares his or her pain, crisis, and hurt freely, without correction or judgment.

2. A sacred space, which allows a child to focus on God and God‟s healing.

3. Time of prayer, which may be in the form of drawing, playing with clay, sitting in silence, lighting a candle, ringing a chime, or any method that helps them connect with God.

4. Blessing, when a child is blessed and God is invited to work within his or her life to bring wholeness, peace, comfort, and healing.

The findings of the model illustrate that, it has three stages rather than four, similar to the intervention model developed by Pynoos and Eth (1986), commonly known as the three-stage approach. The opening an open or exploration three-stage, which Hadley initially called the „Holy listening stage‟ but which became the „Opening phase‟. The second stage

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includes trauma or support, and the third includes closure. These stages differ from Hadley‟s model in that the opening phase includes “expressive representation such as art and drawings... [in which] the counsellor encourages the child to draw whatever (they) like but something (they) can tell (Pretorius et al. 2011:185; cf. Pynoos &Eth 1986). Hadley‟s opening phase contains two elements, the “arrival element” and the “initial conversation element”, the former being the most critical since this is when a child will know that she or he will be happy, and is “greeted warmly, offered the homemade cookies and … engaged in light conversation… The importance of this phase seemed to be that the atmosphere of care, unconditional positive regard, warmth and relationship was established” (2007:179;

cf. Clinebell 1984). Before speaking to a child the environment is important, creating an atmosphere of relaxation, warmth and comfort (Hadley 2007:179).In agreement, Clinebell (1984:184) argues that “the general ministry of pastoral caring is a ministry of presence, listening, warmth, and practical support.”

Therefore, Hadley‟s model begins with an environment that includes “the Holy Listening Stones in the middle of the table, the sandbox, and objects placed strategically on shelves and the pictures hanging on the wall” (Hadley 2007:180). All these objects tell children that this is a “place where they could explore and wonder, and do so in ways appropriate and comfortable for them” (Hadley 2007:180; cf. Lester 1985:85). The second is the initial conversation element, in which conversation is initiated by the spiritual support provider, welcoming the child (Hadley 2007:180). A conversation is a two-way form of communication, regarded by Dinkin as helping to develop a relationship that promotes dialogue (2005:32). In the element of the initial conversation, the spiritual support provider explains to the child who made the biscuits, describes the First Steps Spirituality Center and makes an effort to put him or her at ease by describing what kind of children attend (Hadley 2007:180). This element is one way of developing a rapport between a child and a spiritual support provider; the conversation encourages the child to ask questions, parallel to the art or drawings of the opening phase of the three stage approach, and the counsellor also develops rapport and conversation by asking the child to draw. In agreement, Lester (1985:66) writes that when working children it is essential for the caregiver to come up with ways of getting to know them and allowing them the opportunity to know who the caregiver is. Shumbamhini (2008:165) concurs with Lester and Hadley in stating that knowing a child as an individual is crucial in pastoral care and therapy because children come from different backgrounds.

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The second phase is the discovery phase, which according to Hadley gives children an opportunity to acknowledge, articulate and name their pain without any judgement. The role of the spiritual support provider is to help the child in crisis discover means by which to express their feelings. The spiritual supporter, through a process of Holy Listening, allows the child to move at his or her pace, and when unconditional total regard and care was given by the spiritual support provider, as was described in great detail as important characteristics children are able to identify and name their pain (Hadley 2007:187). This process allows the child to find his or her reality but requires deep listening as the child describes his or her pain. Lartey (2003:63) regards the first step of deep listening as

“allowing oneself to be with another person and to be completely silent with them.” This stage is parallel to second phase of the three-stage approach that includes trauma support, in which a counsellor makes an effort to offer security for the child as she or he is provided with an chance to work through the traumatic experiences (Pretorius et al.

2011:186).

The primary result of the discovery phase was that it enabled the children to explore their pain in a safe, accepting, warm environment while in relationship with a caring, trusted adult and to identify their pain in a core statement, thereby releasing the pain (Hadley 2007:187). This process uses a symbolic language and symbolic tools, with younger children often drawing diagrams and older children being introduced to “the pop can analogy or the Holy Listening Stones” (Hadley 2007:191). Through drawings, children express themselves with pictures that represent their lifestyles. On the other hand, older children use Holy Listening Stones to express themselves. The Holy Listening Stones were created several years ago by Hadley to help children to symbolically put their feelings into words (Hadley 2007:191). In addition, the pop can analogy is frequently used during the first session to encourage children, using it as a symbol to relate to the expression of their feelings (Hadley 2007:195). This is used particularly with the children who most noticeably feel they did not need to be there and did not see the need to talk (Hadley 2007:195).

The pop can analogy is to a can with bubbles, which if shaken sees the bubbles multiply and explode, and children are asked to imagine themselves as the can and define themselves as bubbles and name them (Hadley 2007:203). The spiritual support provider may also pose a question such as “what would happen if the can is shaken and the lid is

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kept tight on with bubbles by no means let out?” or “what happens if the bubbles are never let out and the can does not explode but just kept holding those bubbles in? Do you know what would happen?” Most children will respond that all the bubbles will pop and the soda goes flat (Hadley 2007:203). A flat soda does not taste nice so if children relate to this they may discover how flat and tasteless their life is. The discovery phase is longer than the opening phase.

The third phase according to Hadley‟s model is the affirmation phase, which contains two components, prayer and blessing (Hadley 2007:212). Here children‟s focus is redirected to prayer rather than their pain as they are invited to spend time with God in prayer or reflection, and finally they are blessed and prayed for by the spiritual support provider (Hadley 2007:212). Children are not forced to pray or receive a blessing according to Hadley‟s model. The third and closing stage of the three-stage approach is slightly different from Hadley because it only provides a child with an opportunity to reflect on the counselling prayer (Pretorius et al. 2011:186; cf. Pynoos & Eth 1986). Hadley‟s closing phase is more detailed than the three-stage approach because it contains the prayer and blessing components, though it also allows the child to reflect on the process.

Some of the techniques of pastoral care and counselling for children in crisis in a context of HIV and AIDS include the memory box, which gives an opportunity to people to record their life stories for their children, thereby leaving behind important information on the family history, culture and beliefs (Pretorius et al. 2011:186). It involves a variety of materials and memorabilia, including stories, books, letters, photos, drawings, words and pictures (Pretorius et al. 2011; cf. Ntsimane 2006:20). The memory box is “meant for enhancing resilience among children...it was not designed specifically for disclosure of HIV status or for the direct benefit of HIV+ parents” (Ntsimane 2006:20), however, it attempts to assist those bereaving through the process of bereavement, and may prevent the experience of complicated grieving experiences in children after the loss of parents (Pretorious et al. 2011:186; Ntsimane 2006). This approach empowers both the children and the parents as they are able to share and benefit from their memories.

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