What’s in a Name?

In the early to mid twentieth century, the child therapist D.W. Winnicott introduced a profound concept to therapeutic work: the importance of holding and being held. This notion, pivotal in the early stages of a child's life, extends beyond the physical act of holding to encompass a deeper psychological nurturing. It is about providing a holding environment that is both caring and stable, attentive to specific needs yet reliably constant.

Winnicott's Theory and Its Broader Implications

Before attempting to help a person with the problems they face, Winnicott writes that they need, “the provision of a professional setting for trust, in which such work may take place.” He believed that an ideal holding environment should be both attentive to individual needs and a stable, reliable presence.

This duality is crucial; a lack of either can lead to developmental issues. As we journey through life, this need for a 'holding environment' remains, manifesting in different forms, yet the essence remains the same - we all yearn to be held, understood, and supported.

Held's Mission

At Held, our mission resonates with Winnicott's philosophy. Support is multifaceted – it's not just about meeting immediate, particular needs but also providing a foundation of stability.

We partner with agencies that address specific needs such as job skills training, food insecurity, mental health challenges or legal challenges, and we complement their efforts by providing direct, no-strings-attached money to the people they support​​​​​​.

They are able to work with people on their more specific, particular needs while Held provides the stability of reliable and regular income.

This guaranteed income is our way of creating that “holding environment” for people in need. It represents the stability and reliability that often lacks in the lives of those we aim to support.

By ensuring a steady income, we provide a platform upon which individuals can build and grow, secure in the knowledge that their basic needs are met.

The Universal Need

In 1999, the band Smog released a song entitled “Held.” In it, lead singer and songwriter Bill Callahan sings the first lines over an electric guitar riff:

For the first time in my life, I let myself be held

like a big old baby

Regardless of age or status, each of us has a need to be held, to be understood, to be supported.

Holding and being are about the supportive environment that acknowledges and caters to individual needs while providing stable, dependable care. Just as a child needs to be held to thrive, adults need a community that supports and uplifts them.

We all need what Winnicott terms “humane reliability.”At Held, we strive to be play our part in building that community, ensuring that every individual has the opportunity to be held, supported, and empowered to achieve their full potential.

Try as we might, we can never escape our need for one another, for support and care. We all need to be held, like big old babies.