Sybil Phoenix fostered many children in Lewisham. Against the racism in the UK she managed to survive the odds and rescue children who had no families to go to. The infinte visceral hatred she had to endure from the community and the National Front.

The establishment was so horrified that she might refuse an MBE that she managed to negotiate a new premises for her work. The association of Empire to colonalism was very close.

What gives some the huge amount of fortitude and strength against the odds to succeed, to be torn down, and succeed again. The narrative motivation is straight forward. In this case helping children.

But the emotional motivation is more complex and more powerful. We like to think we are motiivated by circumstance, situation, & sometimes admit to luck. But the deeper wounds that we want to resolve through our stories, are too painful for us to contemplate.

So we parallel. We help others to help ourselves, so not to connect with ourselves that need the help! The psyche is not altruistic. It is self serving. From this perspective so are we – however grand the narrative.

Copyright Adrian Scott North London Counsellor Blog 2025
All rights reserved Disclaimer:
This weblog is the view of the writer and for general information only.
This article is designed to provoke argument and critique
Details changed for confidentiality