Assistants' Position

Availability : ideally assistants should most often be available to the children.

"I don't have the time", "We'll see that later", "not now" must be avoided as much as possible because of being contra-therapeutic. The ratio of one assistant for one child should cover this effectively while assistants should be able nonetheless to have their own personal life and days of rest. This is more a way of life than regular jobs : not based on salaries made but on dedication to help suffering children.

Assistants live in or out of the home, depending on what they prefer, assuming there will always be a sufficient number of them including the founder to choose a live-in position so to best attend to the children on a round-the-clock basis. Whether assistants live in or out, we have to see that they can have the space and time for their own family life.

Assistants' needs : covering children's needs does not mean that assistants' needs have to be neglected, assistants have to respect their own needs similarly as they strive to meet children' s needs, because treating oneself well is a prerequisite for good relationships with others.

There is no need to self-sacrifice for others as everybody is entitled to the pursuit of happiness, and good mental health is achieved thru self-fulfillment. We have to find the right balance where everyone has one' s own needs covered, whether child or adult.

Assistants ' personal difficulties : assistants are encouraged to open up about their own personal disturbances or concerns to whoever they prefer. Filip Marceron, the founder of the project, living at the location, wants to be available for regular follow-up sessions if needed and to provide therapeutic help as he did a classical psychoanalysis in Paris, France in the 1980' s.

Pleasure for assistants : having a relationship with a child can be very enjoyable and delightful. Like for any job to last in it, helping a child to cure must be supported by pleasure for the adults involved. Pleasure at being with the child, of having the chance to know that little person and all the life ce holds within in spite of ces sufferings and impairments.

Troubled children can be especially touching as they suffer deep hardship.

And if we enjoy being with them,that means to them that they are valuable. This helps them greatly to cure by strengthening their self-esteem.

When this feeling of pleasure is missing, there is high risk that the process will fail. That is why choosing the children is all-important : we can engage to take only children to whom we experience a sincere interest as particular persons, i. e. persons with whom we want to be with because we experience pleasure in their company , no matter how badly they have been damaged.

Assistants' income : the project is fueled more by feelings and good will than by attractive salaries. We nevertheless have to manage to let everyone have a fair share of the income made by the place in proportion of efforts and time actively spent to run the home.

Also, assistants may have their own income-making activities to support themselves, at the place (thru internet) or outside, and they would not have to share the profits made with the project. But that should not drive them to neglect the children : therapeutic help to the children must remain our priority (more at the Financial functioning page).

If an assistant wants to leave, we can help ce to find an other position somewhere else and help if possible with money for prospecting, traveling and resettling.

Ideally, an assistant should not leave until ces preferred child has progressed well enough to be free from most symptoms, and the end of the relationship should be eased for the child by a transition period.

rev. 2013