our values

Karuna: Compassion
Karuna is a Sanskrit word that means compassion. This is understood to be a natural dimension of our human condition and manifests through bringing a quality of awareness and presence to our experience. In both everyday life and clinical work, the challenge is to cultivate a state of presence within which we can rest so that this nourishes our perceptions of ourselves and others, facilitating an attitude of non-judgement.

Mindfulness practice
In the work at Karuna, we have learned that awareness is inherently healing and the cultivation of mindfulness in both therapeutic work and daily life is emphasised. In all our courses, the transformative nature of mindfulness and open-heartedness is understood to be the essential starting point for healing processes and growth. Wellbeing is seen at a core level to be a truly expansive state of presence, compassion, joy and peace which can manifest within any aspect of our human condition, including our suffering.

Relationship as a vehicle for change
In all our Trainings at Karuna we have developed a unique practice for creating safe and optimum conditions for working therapeutically in relationship. This involves bringing attention to the multi-level nature of the relational field, and practising a depth of mindfulness within our embodied experience. It also involves cultivating heart qualities that resonate with the illimitable mind-states of equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion and sympathetic joy. Practised together this helps to create and maintain an empathetic holding field within which a depth of healing can occur.

Intentionality and ethical guidelines
We ask that all our Staff and trainees commit to the intention of non-harm. This forms one of the ground rules established by every group for working together. We understand that all work in relationship needs to be supported by recognised ethical codes of practice and community procedures for implementing such codes. You are welcome to see our respective Ethical Guidelines and Codes of Practice. These are congruent with the Codes of Practice of the accrediting bodies to which we subscribe.

"The mindfulness/awareness practices that one can develop are personal but there is a 2,500 year old tradition of practice within Buddhism that can help, so you do not have to re-invent the wheel to develop the inner muscles of hearing, of receptivity with the whole body; (ways) to stay resourced, to stay centred, present… to be able to enter the present moment as fully as you can, or to know when you are not in it..."

Maura Sills, 'Inner Processes of the Practitioner and the Cultivation of Equanimity', Talk at the CSTA AGM, 2000