The brain, behaviour and learning: WHY is Kindness On Purpose necessary?

Kindness On Purpose (KOP) began one day when I walked out of a meeting about a group of girls targeting one girl repeatedly with unkind behaviour.
 
As I left the meeting I was struck by the lack of empathy that existed and saw that in our responses the “grown ups” (us, the educators, therapists and parents) were not addressing the need for intervention at that level. The behavioural programs were great, but there was a gap, in our responses and I had found it.
 
In a literal flash it all made sense. I knew from my work over the past then 20 years as a clinical therapist (AMHSW BSWBSocSc) that we get change when we can increase levels of empathy. Of course!!
 
I also knew from my years of working with trauma that to really make positive behavioural change that was effective and lasting we needed to harness the new understandings about the way the brain works.  
 
For it to work; every single student in the school needed to participate to create a culture within the school and a shared language.
 
That way; when we worked with specific individuals; both those who were engaging in unkind behaviour and those who were being hurt by others; they would not feel singled out and they would be supported by the shared culture that would come with being in a Kindness On Purpose school.
 
So I began researching. I was not surprised to find that there is a direct link between increasing empathy and increasing prosocial behaviour, decreasing bullying and also decreasing rates of depression and anxiety.
 
When the inspiration for Kindness On Purpose and the research came together I knew that I could create a program that was clinically based and would make a difference. I knew instantly all the elements that needs to be included in the program. 
 
I commenced using the Kindness On Purpose clinical techniques, strategies and language with my individual clients and I dramatically saw the effectiveness of the interventions in my own private practice. One day I was having a conversation with a colleague when she kindly offered to talk to her Principal about running a pilot for Kindness On Purpose in her school. The pilot began with great success and word quickly spread. More schools contacted me and could see the value of Kindness On Purpose for their school.
 
Kindness On Purpose has continued to grow quickly and there are Kindness On Purpose schools and early childhood centres in the Illawarra, South Western Sydney, Western Sydney, Northern NSW and rural NSW. Kindness On Purpose is now expanding nationally.

We are currently taking enrolments for 2020. If you would like to become a Kindness On Purpose certified school, contact katrina@kindnessonpurpose.com