Tim is an oblate of the WCCM and works with a US federal agency which provides care for refugees and survivors of torture. In this talk he describes how meditation helps him – and those he trains to work with those who have suffered a trauma – to maintain the optimum level of compassion while taking the necessary care of themselves.

Sharing meditation directly with those survivors has also shown him that, however essential it is to provide psychological therapy, it has its limitations. There is another level of healing which requires a spiritual dimension. Valuable as may be the ‘relaxation response’ or the ‘therapeutic response’, the deepest healing response lies not outside but within ourselves.