Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice

Dyann Ross

Broken-heartedness is caused by lovelessness which in turn becomes a breeding ground for violence and injustice. Broken-heartedness is the child hurt by abuse and unfairness. It is the farmed animal afraid and alone in an abattoir. It is the mental health patient restrained and secluded. It is professional carers being unsafe in trauma-causing workplaces. It is the destroyed forest and the death of a river. Broken-heartedness is the planetary epidemic of our times, and until now, it has gone unnamed.

In this path-breaking book, Dr Dyann Ross shares her personal story interwoven with robust analyses of the causes of broken-heartedness. Evolving from this, she posits her theory – and practice – of love, as an indispensable force for addressing and working with broken-heartedness proven significant from her career as a social worker. She writes that whatever the situation – lovelessness, violence, injustice – the answer is love, and its application is both vital and within reach.

Broken-heartedness is a must-read for any practitioner or interested individual seeking a revolutionary love-based practice.