Summary
Empathy is not coddling and it’s more than listening skills; it is helping clients know they are deeply loved by God. Scripture, research, and clinical experience show that everyone needs empathy to develop loving attachments with God and others, but they are likely to unwittingly deflect that empathy through unconscious resistances like denying emotions, distraction, isolation, self-judgment, or self-rejection. In this workshop coaches and ministry leaders will learn how to receive and reflect empathy in order to facilitate the loving attachment relationships that are central to human flourishing for all people, including those who are struggling with challenges in their relationships and mental health. Developing self-empathy, which is agreeing with empathy from God and other people, helps overcome these resistances. Participants will learn a variety of empathy practices, including self-empathy, in order to grow in loving attachments and human flourishing.
Learning Objectives
Describe how empathy facilitates loving attachment and human flourishing for people who are struggling in their relationships or with mental health challenges.
Outline common unconscious resistances to loving attachment and how empathy can help clients and disciples to overcome those resistances.
Identify specific practices for self-empathy and giving empathy to others in order cultivate loving attachments and human flourishing.