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The barefoot
helper
Mindfulness and creativity in social work and the helping
professions
By Mark Hamer
Pub 2006 by Russell House Publishing
ISBN 978 1 905541 03 4. Format A5, 95pp
The Barefoot Helper
celebrates the human spirit and embraces the creativity that defines
human beings. It encourages workers to enable those they help, to understand who they really
are and what they really want; and helps them to create clear goals based on
those insights. This is a book for all practitioners, whatever their discipline,
who have a role in helping vulnerable people to have more choice, and so more
control over their lives and the paths they tread.
Changing your life is a creative
activity, you have to be able to imagine a preferable future that is realistic
and achievable. If as professionals, our own
creativity is stifled then it becomes difficult to build on the creativity in
others that would encourage them to pursue the kinds of lives they would hope to
have. If your job involves
helping people who are going through difficult times, and helping them change
their lives, then the ideas in this book may help you to do your job better,
stay sane and be happy.
Sometimes the systems
that we work within can breed a sense of hopelessness in workers, taking
excitement and creativity away from us. If our role is to help people to be free
of the shackles of destructive behaviour patterns, self-defeating thought
processes, poor skills in parenting, self-care, relationships and communication…
If we are to help people to create new lives, then we as workers need to feel
creative…
The Barefoot Helper
looks at how we can be free to do work that is personal and individual to the
client’s unique needs, work that that accepts them as independent souls with
hopes and dreams of their own, work that explores and builds upon this aspect of
their humanity.
The Barefoot Helper
lets you experience the very life of spontaneous engagement with another human
being, experience the full joy of living and being, while doing not just good
work, but fantastic work. Written in a spirit of celebration, it reminds
us that – as workers - we are a positive force in the world.
READERSHIP:
Social workers – students, teachers, practitioners,
managers – and anyone else who works with people - sick people, hurting,
abused or abusing people, violent people, people without hope, failing
people, drug misusing, drinking, worried or frightened people. This
includes: youth workers, mental health workers, substance misuse
workers, criminal justice workers, carers and health workers.
"If you want to survive in social work,
you need to read this."
Reviews for
The
Barefoot Helper
Dear Mark
I have just finished reading 'The Barefoot Helper' and wanted to let
you know how much I enjoyed it.
I qualified as a social worker in 1974 and at the time felt something
was missing from my vision of how I thought social work should be
practiced. My answer came when I discovered David Brandon's 'Zen in the
Art of Helping'. This book remains one of my most prized possessions to
this day, and his work has inspired me throughout my 30 year career -
and life. Sadly, he is no longer with us, but your book will take equal
pride of place alongside his on my bookshelf.
Social work is going though (another) transition, but one which I feel
does pose some of its most serious challenges to its fundamental
humanity. The more practitioners and managers who read messages such as
yours, the more we can hold fast to what the profession should be, and
I will encourage all those I currently work with to become familiar
with your work.
All the best.
Ron Burn
Independent Trainer
"A
guide to positive intervention
Mark
Hamer’s previous book. Preventing Breakdown, is a book every social worker
should have. It contains guidance on methods of intervention that promote
positive change in families in crisis, problem-solving and non-confrontational
interviewing as well as useful, photocopiable tools.
In
The Barefoot Helper, Hamer explains the philosophical basis for his methods, and
includes chapters on the state of social work, relationships, creating change
and explains why your self is the best tool that you have.
Going
barefoot is to follow an ethical path, treading “lightly and carefully”, causing
“least harm” and taking a “green” approach to life and work. It works on the
basis that service users are the experts in their own situation and social
workers need to both empower and enable them to move in a positive direction.
Hamer’s approach is based on science and logic, and focuses on the whole person.
It emphasises solutions that build on people’s strengths and social workers’
relationships with service users.
In
Hamer’s previous book, he explained in detail techniques for building on
people’s strengths: goal-setting and non-confrontational interviewing. Both are
approaches that Hamer put into practice when he was a social worker and
therapist (Hey! I still am a social worker and
work with clients nearly every day!). In The
Barefoot Helper’s chapter on creating change, he provides guidance on the use of
these tools.
This
is not an academic book and is unlikely to be found on a social work reading
list, not will it suit everyone. Hamer draws inspiration from unconventional
sources including Taoism, Zen Buddhism and Yoga.
However, what is evident throughout the book is Hamer’s compassion and how he
cares about social work values. At a time when the role and purpose of social
work is being reviewed, this is a timely reminder of these values and a
refreshing change."
Children Now, 15 Aug – 4 Sept 2007.
reviewed by Maria Calver, Senior Practitioner,
Mulberry Tree Family Centre, Essex County Council.
"I was
reading a restaurant review recently and the critic opened his piece
with the statement that he wasn't going to like the restaurant. The name
was a bit naff and the decor grim. But it turned out to be a hit. I felt
the same about this book. Many years in the academic world can do
terrible things to you, including the provision of a cynical element I
try hard to manage. Hamer has managed to write a book about working with
people which reignites the joy we all felt when we we began in joining
one of the people professions. But in the world of public service it's
not been easy these last few years. Battered by reduced resources,
privatisation and the mania of externally imposed performance indicators
which result in agencies often hitting the target but missing the point,
we have allowed ourselves to become deskilled, demotivated and less
humane. But don't despair. This little book offers genuine hope for
those of us who want to recapture the humanity of social work in
particular and promoting social wellbeing in general. It's not a
self-help book in the traditional sense, but Hamer does manage to
provide some astute and meaningful guidance to better, more fulfilling
practice. Essentially this is about doing our work barefoot, not in
heavy boots - in other words, treading lightly, being authentic and
working with love. Love? Hamer uses the word a lot, but in these harsh
times it;'s almost a value we no longer talk about. His book is a
refreshing discourse on regaining the soul of social work by becoming
more authentic people ourselves. He acknowledges where we are now in the
human services, but encourages us to see beyond the mess and "find the
spirit in the mundane, the sacred in the ordinary, the specialness in
the individual" and offers a vision of social well-being that draws on
the uniqueness of worker and client. For Hamer, good practice is about
the worker leaving no trace of his or her passing, but working
creatively with people. Work done without creativity, he says, "is
simply brutality".
It' a
practical book as well as offering an intellectual challenge to the way
we think about modern social work. It's a good read and, who knows, it
could be the start of social work ridding itself of its corporate
dullness and becoming the exciting, creative profession that seduced
many of us in the first place.
John Bates,
Liverpool Hope University
in
Well-Being, Promoting Social and Workplace Welfare.
"Mark
Hamer has a rare facility for planting the seeds of positive change and
genuinely help people to use their own creativity to break out of
harmful behaviour patterns. His book is written for anyone devoted to
alleviating human suffering. It provides the self-empowering tools and
philosophy to do so effectively and remain sane. Mark's love shines out
through every word - the book is filled with compassion and joy and yet
is immensely practical. If you work in the caring professions you could
do far worse than spend a few hours reading this. Doing so could change
your life and by extension, the lives of everyone you touch, for the
better. I endorse it wholeheartedly".
Stephen Russell
- aka,
The Barefoot Doctor.
"This is for anyone whose work is
involved in alleviating human suffering ... Hamer's positive approach
shines through out through every word and the book is filled with
compassion while remaining very practical. He explores how we can create
progress in the gentlest and most holistic way while doing the least
harm. It encourages us to be aware of where creativity and change occur
naturally so that we can encourage and empower it more easily..."
Addiction Today, Jan/Feb 2007.
"... I am currently
employed as a Family Centre Worker in Buckinghamshire and have just
finished reading your book, The Barefoot Helper. I just had to let you
know how much I have enjoyed reading
it, ... it has helped me to refocus on what I have always believed, that
our role in helping the families that we work with is to empower them
into making positive changes for themselves and their children and these
changes can only occur when families are ready.
... when my manager
purchased a copy of your book for the office I became totally excited
when you spoke about the Solution Focus approach that I immediately
went onto your site downloaded your cards and requested that we order
"Preventing Breakdown" which I now have in my possession and guarding
them both with my life.
... thank you for writing in very simplistic way so that even a mere
mortal like myself could understand. May you continue to be inspired in
your writings, enabling us focus on the outcomes for the families that
we work with and not our egos.
Many Thanks"
Arlene Major
Desborough Family Centre.
"This
is a self-help book about how social workers feel about what they do, and the
feelings they transmit to their clients, writes Trevor Carter.
Mark Hamer gathers from and synthesises various sources,
attitudes, approaches and belief systems ... The personal anecdotes enhance the authenticity and integrity of
the message ... the writing is passionate and works hard to engage ...
... The most evocative metaphor is one
describing social workers as "caged dancers" given that their professional
creativity is constrained by bureaucracy. The most accessible maxim is: "You
don't have to go to war every time someone farts in your direction."
The book makes up in fervour and soundness of message what it
lacks in structure and clarity. It may serve as a lifeline for those who have
lost their bearings, and provide a useful reminder to the rest of us to be
mindful of how we meddle with the lives of others. It's worth a read to restore
focus and passion.
Star rating: 4/5"
Trevor Carter
Community Care Website 24 October 2007
I've just been on your website, and
really enjoyed the content. I read The Barefoot Helper recently, and it
made me laugh out loud as well as being very constructive, down to earth and
eminently practical. Thanks for that.
Although I am no longer in social work
practice, per se, I am delivering Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction courses
and coaching, and am looking at ways of adapting and delivering this to
social workers and others in the social care field. My colleague and I have
recently set up a small social enterprise (Community Interest Company) to
respond to the growing need and demand for mindfulness based approaches
(there are not so many trained facilitators in the North, although a growing
number in the South- we're always half a century behind up here in the grim
North). We are busy creating the website, so would hope to be able to link
you to that in the next month or so.
My colleague, Gary Heads, and I share
a belief in people finding their own solutions, and this underpins our work
(at present, we are working largely with people who are long term
unemployed, and often suffering from depression, low self-esteem and
anxiety). We both practice meditation and use various Buddhist, Yoga and
other teachings to inform our work, and our day to day lives. Using the MBSR
approach, (devised by Jon Kabat Zinn) we are finding that the lack of a
perceived "spiritual/religious" angle is allowing us to appeal to ordinary
folks, and our user feedback reports are generally positive. We have
recently had our first service user referred by a social worker, and the
social workers are asking why they can't come along.
Gary's current company is called "True
Potential"
My own recent social work background,
by the way, was in setting up a Social Enterprise, with two other colleagues
(including my husband), in 2001:
We worked there as Directors until
2008, then decided (in a very positive way) it was time for some life
changes, and a different application of our skills and interests!
Given some of the influences cited in
your book, I though you might be interested in hearing about our mindfulness
training plans. I also wanted to check with you, whether you would give us
permission to use the social work resources on your website as occasional
handouts and as a way of directing other people to your work?
I was sorry to see on your blog that
your health has been a problem, hope you're still digging, and hope the
amphibians have indeed been eating the slugs (and can I send you some of
mine?).
Thanks again for the book.
Elaine Young
15 July 2009
Hi Mark,
I wanted to write to you
because I am currently reading your book ‘the barefoot helper’. I qualified
as a social worker at the end of last year and during my training developed
an interest in the concept of mindfulness on a personal and professional
level. After studying wordy academic texts for some time I am finding your
book’s practical and philosophical approach refreshing and helpful. I
appreciated the section on ‘experiencing detachment’ as I have had
difficulties at times managing the boundaries of emotional responsibility
inherent in our work.
I’m currently working with
older people but during my training had the opportunity to work in community
mental health and family support also. Actually I am drawn towards mental
health as I wish to develop the conversational and therapeutic dimension of
my work. I’m also a musician, mostly playing guitar and singing but
recently bought an electronic drum-kit. Actually I was really surprised
that on your list of what to do if you’re feeling battered you mentioned
‘the Big Chill’ as I had recently bought a ticket for the Sunday of this
year’s festival. If you’re going perhaps we could meet up!
Anyway I just wanted to
write, say hello and thank you for your book. In October I’m going to
London to attend a conference entitled ‘solution focused mindfulness’ with
Brief who I’ve had some training from.
Best wishes to you and hope
you’re enjoying the summer.
Warm regards
Mark
Social Worker
How to Order
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All material is
Copyright Mark Hamer 2006.
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