Ombrelo 18 years – part 3
This is a true story of how we became Ombrelo. First there was an idea. Then one person. Then two. Then a small group who shared the same belief. It wasn’t clear what this would become. There was only a feeling that things could be done differently – together. This year Ombrelo turns 18. Of age. But this is not a celebratory speech. This is a 12-part series about how a community is born. How people find each other under the same shelter. How growth is not just about numbers, but about trust. This is our story.
The Cat Theory
We have a cat theory: a dog comes when it’s called, but a cat comes when it wants to. At ombrelo, everyone comes to work because they want to – and the core idea is that good work is born from trust, not control.
Working hours aren’t fixed, and everyone fits their work around the rhythm of the rest of their life. Someone might work from seven in the morning, sometimes someone makes a visit on a public holiday – if it suits them and the client wants it. You don’t apply for vacation; you take it when it suits you. The only request is to let people know if you’ll be away for a longer time. Once, a therapist called on a Monday and asked: “Should I maybe have told you I was on vacation last week?” It would have been good, sure, but it’s no big deal. By the way, did you have a nice vacation?
The same spirit shows in the physical space. Every ombrelo has a couch: you can have meetings there, gather for a coffee break – or take a nap if you get tired. Every now and then someone has walked into the office and found a colleague asleep on the couch. Then they’ve tiptoed quietly back to the door. You don’t disturb them – resting is part of the job.
Trust doesn’t appear because you order it to. Over the years, the team has shared personal things they never had to share, and that’s something to be grateful for. Trust grows when everyone knows that in this group, it’s safe to be a whole person.
And the same trust shows in the work with clients. The client meets a therapist who is present and doing their best – not because they have to, but because they want to. That’s the cat theory in practice.