Judgement Doesn't Heal the Hurting - Article 4 - February 2019

Oct 15, 2026

Judgement Doesn’t Heal the Hurting by Kara Lasater reflects on a teacher-counselor’s evolving understanding of trauma-informed, nonjudgmental education. Drawing on experiences counseling children and families affected by bereavement, housing and food insecurity, and multigenerational substance use, the essay argues that judging families alienates and further traumatizes. Through her journey from deficit ideology and mistaken assumptions toward self-awareness and critical self-reflection, Lasater urges educators to bear witness, challenge harmful beliefs, and move beyond judgment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

“Righteous” Judgment is Still Judgment

Throughout My Career

Trauma Experiences

Deficit Ideological Views

Personal Journey and Ideological Shift

Listening and Mistakes

Critical Self-Reflection

Internship Experiences

Foster Care Agency

Truancy Diversion Program

Educational Considerations | Volume 44 | Number 2 | Article 4 | | --- | --- | | February 2019
Judgement Doesn't Heal the Hurting
Kara Lasater
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, klasater@uark.edu
Follow this and additional works at: [https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations](https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations)
Part of the Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons, and the Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons | | Recommended Citation Lasater, Kara (2019) "Judgement Doesn't Heal the Hurting," Educational Considerations: Vol. 44: No. 2. [https://doi.org/10.4148/](https://doi.org/10.4148/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.4148/)0146-9282.2177 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational Considerations by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information, [please contact](please contact cads@k-state.edu)[ cads@k-state.edu](please contact cads@k-state.edu). Lasater: Judgement Doesn't Heal the Hurting Judgment Doesn’t Heal the Hurting Kara Lasater Introduction Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with many students and families who experienced various forms of trauma. I have worked with families who experienced trauma related to the loss of a loved one, persistent food and housing insecurity, and multi-generational drug and alcohol addictions. I have worked with children who were traumatized by chronic harassment and discrimination, exposure to domestic violence, and tumultuous parental divorces. While I learned many valuable lessons as a result of working with these children and families, the most important lesson I learned was that judging families serves no productive purpose – it only further alienates, further shames, and further traumatizes. As educators, adopting non judgmental views of students and families is critical in the development of safe, socially just schools (Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division and The Full Frame Initiative 2016; Theoharis 2009), yet sometimes our lack of self-awareness and problematic ideological positions lead us to judge. For example, many educators adopt deficit ideological views of families–a perspective that leads educators to stereotype marginalized families and attribute educational disparities to families’ perceived deficiencies (Gorski 2008; Gorski 2016) . Not only does deficit ideology serve to further marginalize the most marginalized families (e.g., poor, minority families), it also creates social, psychological, and cultural conditions in which passing judgment is both acceptable and justifiable (Gorski 2012; Patterson, Hale, and Stessman 2007) . In all honesty, reaching this understanding took time, and I made many mistakes along the way. I made assumptions about families without really understanding their personal histories or the sociopolitical contexts in which they lived. I heard their stories without really listening. I watched other professionals treat them unjustly without ever saying a word. This essay describes my personal journey with families and the ideological shift I experienced as I became more self aware and attentive to others’ stories. I tell my story, and with it the stories of others, in hopes that teachers, school leaders, and all school personnel will learn from my experiences and challenge themselves to engage in critical self-reflection, to bear witness to the stories of children and families who have experienced trauma, and to move beyond judgment. “Righteous” Judgment is Still Judgment I first started working with children and families when I was 23 years old. At the time, I was a graduate student completing my counseling internship within two community-based men

FAQs

Why does judging families serve no productive purpose in education, according to the essay?

The essay states that judging further alienates, shames, and traumatizes families. Adopting nonjudgmental views is presented as critical for safe, socially just schools.

What kinds of trauma does the author describe working with students and families who experienced?

The author describes trauma tied to loss of a loved one, persistent food and housing insecurity, multi-generational drug and alcohol addictions, chronic harassment and discrimination, domestic violence exposure, and tumultuous parental divorces.

How did the author’s thinking change over time?

The author explains that reaching this understanding took time and involved mistakes such as assumptions and insufficient listening. The essay describes an ideological shift toward greater self-awareness, attentiveness to others’ stories, and critical self-reflection to move beyond judgment.

Oct 15, 2026

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