The trouble with simple solutions

Working in the federal penitentiary, I was often faced with situations so complex they felt impossible to solve.

Sitting across from men whose lives had been shaped by violence, trauma, and loss, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the enormity of their struggles. The stories were messy, and the pathways forward were anything but clear.

Ironically, it was in this environment that I learned one of my greatest lessons: the more difficult a problem, the more fundamental the solution. Not fundamental in the sense of easy, but rather, in terms of the things required. At the core, what people needed was not more rules or restrictions. They needed something many had never experienced before: love, trust, safety, compassion, and connection. Without those, no real healing could take place.

This truth extends far beyond prison walls. In today’s world, we are bombarded with overly simplistic answers to deeply complex problems: violence solves conflict; global warming doesn’t exist; autism can be explained simply by women having taken over-the-counter medication.  These reductionistic black-and-white explanations may feel tidy, but they leave no room space for the depth and nuance that real understanding and solutions require.

There is a danger in simplicity. If we cling to false simplifications, we diminish what makes us human: our ability to reason at a higher level, guided not by fear or blame, but by compassion, values, and respect.

The real solutions, the ones that heal, are never quick fixes. They require courage to sit with discomfort, patience to build trust, and openness to connect. They ask us to embrace complexity rather than run from it. And though it isn’t easy, this is where true change begins….

If you feel you or a loved one may be struggling, please feel free to reach out and contact us or visit the programs section of this website to see what we offer.  

Warmly,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong