Frank Lake's Dynamic Cycle - An observation on babies entering this world

FRANK LAKE’S DYNAMIC CYCLE

Frank Lake (1914 – 1982) was one of the pioneers of pastoral counselling in the United Kingdom. In 1962 he founded the Clinical Theology Association with the primary aim to make clergy more effective in understanding and accepting the psychological origins of their parishioners’ personal difficulties. However, the training seminars in pastoral counselling, which he began in 1958, eventually enlisted professional and lay people in various fields from various denominations.

After obtaining a degree in medicine at Edinburgh University he studied parasitology at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.   Part of the studying of tropical diseases required him to compare healthy plants with diseased one in an endeavor to discover what had gone wrong and the effects the disease had on the plants he was studying.   In the process he began musing on the idea of  if only there was a perfect specimen of a man who could be studied in the same way.    As he contemplated on such possibilities friends pointed out that Christians believe Jesus was such a man and so he began exploring what the bible said about Jesus.   Shortly afterwards he became a Christian,  convinced that Jesus was indeed a perfect man who could be studied in the same way as he was studying tropical plants.     From there he became a missionary for the Church Missionary Society and was sent to India.

On his return he trained as a paediatrican and In the early 1950s, he retrained as a psychiatrist.     It was during this time he began to observe how when a child came into this world often unplanned or  it was accepted by the family, the group and his or her needs met.    Food,  clothing,  warmth,  comfort and love.   Through that the baby developed a sense of worth, value and status.    The whole world or so it seemed revolved around him.   Criy and someone came and picked him up no matter how busy that person had been or what they had been doing.    Felt uncomfortable,  wet,  cold and his nappy was changed and made comfortable again.   Hungry,  again someone rushed to feed him.   The baby did not need to do anything except let it be known he needed feeding,  his nappy changed or another blanket needed.     This confirmed his value and status in life and he didn’t have to do anything to earn it.   How could he not but feel good.   Feeling good he smiled,  waved his hands,   reach out and grabbed something.      This made him even more acceptable.   More people came and talked to him.    Now people gave him toys to play with,  even more eager to feed him,  change his nappy even though they could stink to high heaven.    People picked him up and played with him.    He must be really important and his status increased.   He felt even happier now and waved his hands even more.   He grabbed the rattle and waved it.   Tried to pull himself up,  smiled and made more baby noises.   More people came around,   his parents picked him up and beaming showed him off.   He feels even more accepted,  given more food,  more needs met and the cycle moved on.   More sense of worth,  more playing,   more acceptance.  More needs met and so it went on and in a good life that continues until the day he died many  years later.    Even then his last need was met.   A coffin and many people around to say good bye.  

From those observation Frank Lake developed his dynamic cycle (see above).    Of course very few people live 
that perfect good life.    Not all babies come into the world and are immediately accepted.    Not all babies have food when they need it.   Not all baby’s needs are met or have that sense of well being,  of being valued of having status and so do not become as active as they could have been.    A classic demonstration of this was when the Iron Curtain came down and people were first allowed into Romania.    Christians going into Romanian orphanages were shocked to see babies lying almost lifeless in cots.   Not moving,  not making any sound.     It wasn't long though with training and encouragement,  the staff started to pick the babies up and play with them.   Soon life came back into the orphanages and the noise of babies and children playing started to echo around the place.    

I experienced something of that in South Africa,  when Julia and I were taken to a Salvation Army children’s home in Johannesburg.   Only a few months earlier the Salvation Army had been asked to take over and run an orphanage where children whose mothers had died of Aids were being looked after.    Nobody wanted to touch,  let alone pick up and play with babies whose mothers had Aids let alone died of it.    So the babies laid there in their cots being given the minimum of attention.    When the Salvation Army officers first went in there were just row upon row of silent babies.   No sound, no movement.     It took time to get the staff to understand they needed to stay and talk to the babies,  let alone pick them up and play with them.    By the time we visited,  some babies were sitting up in their cots.   There were laughter,   noise and movement but they still had a long way to go.    There were still cots were the babies were silent,  who did not move but there was progress.   The staff were coming round to the idea of playing with the children and though still fearful,  picking the babies up to feed them and play with them.

Babies come into the world.    They didn't ask to come in,  to be part of the family.    They just came.   They knew though they were wanted and accepted,   whether perfectly formed with all limbs and faculties or not.   It doesn't matter whether some limbs are missing,  deformed or seem ill.   They are wanted,  they are accepted.    How do they know.   Parents,  relatives,  friends,  neighbours, who ever.   All come over to where the baby lays and talks to it,  makes silly cooing baby noises.  Picked up,  cuddled and played with.   They are swung about,  everyone laughing and the babies are left in no doubt they are wanted,  they are accepted and part of the family.    Food is provided,  on demand,  on the hour,  every hour if needed.   Other needs are met,  the baby only has to cry and someone comes running.   No wonder it feels good.    No wonder it feels of value, of worth, has status and it hasn't done a thing.    It has done absolutely nothing.   Nothing whatsoever to deserve all this attention,   to earn any of it.   A healthy,  happy child soon does though.   It waves it hands,  tries to smile,  play with toys.    Not to earn it’s acceptance.   Not to feel good, for it is already feels good,   it knows all it’s needs will be met by the group,  for it knows it was accepted right from the beginning.   And it continues like this throughout it’s childhood and into adulthood and into old age.   Or at least it would if life was as perfect as it was when the child was born.