Taylor Wilmont, AMFT brings in to this dialog a lens developed as an active student in non-traditional learning environments cultivated since 2007. She offers a lens as emerging practice mental health counselor with an educational background that focused on developing skills to support multicultural approaches to counseling.
Discussion Summary:
It's normal to feel emotions like grief, anger, and confusion when our worldview is challenged by something new. In order to support ourselves and others through this process, we should allow space for feeling without judgment, try to recognize and validate our emotions, and seek towards expression and exploration.
1. Josephine Jarvis and Taylor Wilmot both went to an interdisciplinary college and are now working as therapists in different fields.
2. They are discussing the challenges and benefits of learning in an educational community that is intentionally non-hierarchical.
3. They are exploring how different modes of learning can be used to benefit the inclusion, wellbeing, and empowerment of diverse humans.
Josephine Jarvis and Taylor Wilmot discuss the challenges of creating a safe space for emotional expression in an online learning environment. They note that it is important to be aware of the difference between emotions and information, and that emotional reactions are not necessarily acts of violence. They also suggest that it is important to be prepared for the possibility that people may show up in a state of hyperarousal and that it is important to have grace for those who are in that state.
The scapegoating dynamic can lead to a blind spot in terms of understanding the full problem and potential solutions. It can also create a sense of division within a group.
It can be helpful to think about your own culture and how it might be different from the dominant culture when you are trying to learn about and be sensitive to other cultures. It is also important to be curious and humble when asking questions about other cultures.
This conversation between Josephine Jarvis and Taylor Wilmot is about the importance of approaching education with an openness to all different types of perspectives, and the role that educators can play in de-institutionalizing some of the harmful beliefs that are perpetuated in society. They discuss how everyone has a role to play in creating a more just and equitable world, and how we can all learn from each other by engaging in dialogue and critical inquiry.
