Growing Kindness in Health and Care 

Hosted by Dr Susy Cook, CEO of Aqua and Richard Tylerask — guide, coach, psychotherapist, and systemic constellator. This thought-provoking masterclass invited participants to explore the transformative power of kindness — not just as a personal value, but as a systemic force for change in health and care.

Richard shared a deeply personal story of being diagnosed with an incurable illness, which led him to leave London for the countryside. He drew a powerful analogy between the tired, neglected land and house he moved into, and the human need for nurture and restoration. His message was clear: kindness is essential for growth — in ourselves, in others, and in the systems we build.

“How do we grow kindness?”

This central question guided the session, encouraging reflection on how we can embed compassion into the heart of our services.

Exploring Change and Transition

Participants examined William Bridges’s model for Transition,  which helps organisations and individuals understand and more effectively manage and work through the personal and human side of change.

We distinguished between:

• First-order change – surface-level adjustments, like “moving the furniture around”
• Second-order change – deeper, transformational shifts that redesign systems and culture

The group considered what it would take to bring more kindness into the health and care system. How would we measure it? What would it look like in practice? And crucially — what would we need to let go of to make space for it?

Kindness Under Pressure

A key insight from the session was the recognition that kindness is often misunderstood as weakness. In reality, it can be a difficult — yet courageous — offer, especially in times of stress and pressure. Participants reflected on the emotional labour of kindness and the importance of creating environments where it can thrive.

Systemic Insights: Bert Hellinger’s Orders

The session also introduced Bert Hellinger’s three natural orders, which help maintain balance in people and organisations. These systemic principles offered a lens through which to view organisational health and the role of kindness in restoring equilibrium.

Watch the event