8 Week Series: Empathic Listening (Video Conferencing or Self-Paced)

Tuesday, October 5, 2021
7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Google Calendar ICS

Is this you?

You value meeting others with empathy and compassion but find it is not so easy. Perhaps you find yourself getting caught in arguments, trying to fix things for people, or maybe you just feel uncomfortable not knowing what to do.

Sometimes you find yourself listening to the same complaint or difficulty from the same person many times over. You would like to help, but you also don't want to be held hostage in repetitive conversations. Listening with empathy does not mean being a silent hostage. Listening with empathy can be an active and engaged process. You can learn to interrupt repetitive or escalating conversations in a way that leaves the other person feeling heard and that moves the conversation forward in connection.

This course series is designed for anyone wanting to meet others with compassion and empathy while staying grounded in yourself.

Topics for the course:

What does it really mean to listen with empathy?
Practice putting on new ears and learning to listen for feelings and needs. See how much easier it is to not take things personally when you can listen for the feelings and needs behind what someone is saying.

You will be introduced to the definition of empathy in the framework of Mindful Compassionate Dialogue. You will learn 12 essential aspects of empathy and how to identify what is often confused with empathy. You will have an opportunity to name what gets in your way of offering empathy.

Building a vocabulary for empathy
Part of learning to give and receive empathy is learning a vocabulary. You will learn some common "faux feelings" that can lead empathy astray into blame and shame. You will engage in exercises to help you learn the list of universal needs as a living language rather than a concept.

The experience of giving and receiving empathy
When you engage empathy mindfully, you will find that there many layers of experience to notice. Empathy is a state of consciousness and a generosity of the heart to be practiced and received with grace.

Obstacles to empathy
The obstacles to empathy are predictable. You will identify a common list of obstacles and name the ones that most often get in your way. You will have an opportunity to develop and engage practices to work with these obstacles.

Setting boundaries with empathy
Empathy isn't always the best response. And, sometimes, you don't have the resources needed to offer or receive empathy. You can't truly engage with empathy unless you can also set a boundary. Losing yourself in another is not empathy. You will learn strategies for discerning when you can truly give empathy and for how to set a boundary when you can't.

Practicing with challenge
Being able to offer and receive empathy means being able to practice with challenge. This includes learning how to self-soothe and engage in self empathy in the middle of a challenging dialogue.

Deep empathy
For relationships in which you need healing, deep empathy is often an important part of that healing. Deep empathy doesn't require the other person to be present for you to access it. You will learn a specific way to go beyond the simple empathic strategy of guessing feelings and needs.

What to expect:

You will enter into a safe and supportive environment to learn and practice. You will have the opportunity to come together with a group of others who share your values and commitment to growth. You will notice that when an entire group brings forth this clear intention and dedication, a synergistic field is created that makes it easier for you to do the work you want to do.

You will work with examples from your own life. This means that you get to decide the level of vulnerability you will bring to each exercise. Exercises are structured so that you can challenge yourself and, at the same time, maintain mindfulness and learning. The focus is on empowering you to interrupt shame, to engage compassion for yourself, and to stand firmly in a sense of your inviolable worth.

For each class, there will be an introduction to concepts and skills, practice time in structured exercises within pairs or small groups, and whole-group questions and discussion time.

Each class contains students completely new to Wise Heart and students who know each other and me from previous classes.

Understanding the Online Format:

Students will be signing in to the workshop simultaneously in real time from their own locations, using Zoom. We will be able to see and hear each other. For visibility, it’s important to have a light in front of you, not behind you. The technology allows for breaking up into pairs or small groups, which the trainers can visit and check in with just as would happen in an in-person course.

You will be able to review a recording of the workshop for a full week after it ends. Students won’t be shown on the recording, but can be heard. You can participate in discussions via chat if you don’t want your voice recorded. Courses may be sold later as a pre-recorded course.

You can also opt to take the series only through the recording.

Having someone in your life available to do the exercises with you is recommended for this option.

You will receive a detailed handout as a part of the workshop that you can download and keep for future reference.

Details:

Live attendance means:

Arriving on time to the workshop.
Attending and participating for the duration of the class.
Attending at least 6 of the 8 class sessions
Access to the video recording for eight weeks following the last class.

Receiving a detailed handout that you can download and keep for later reference.
Ensuring you have consistent access to internet speeds and connectivity that support video conferencing (600kbps/1.2Mbps (up/down) for HQ video; 1.5Mbps/1.5Mbps (up/down) for gallery view).
Facility with using the Zoom video conferencing system. For more technical information about zoom, you can go here.