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| empathy exercises for couples: This Difficult Thing of Being Human Bodhipaksa, 2019-11-26 Neuroscience meets Buddhist wisdom in this “wise guide” offering 5 key skills for developing mindful self-compassion—and becoming your own best advocate (Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance). We all long for someone to offer us unconditional love and support. But what if that person is us? The practice of mindful self-compassion creates the space we need so that observation, acceptance, and real love can enter—no matter how judgmental or disconnected we may feel. It sounds like a simple idea: to be kind to yourself. But if you pay attention to your thoughts, habits, and self-talk, you may find that it’s more difficult than it sounds. The intentional practice of self-compassion, outlined here by Buddhist scholar and teacher, Bodhipaksa, can help you find greater overall wellbeing, emotional resilience, physical health, and willpower. Bodhipaksa provides both the why and the how of mindful self-compassion, drawing on contemporary psychology and neuroscience and also on Buddhist psychology, weaving the modern and ancient together into a coherent whole. Contemporary psychologists are focusing less on self-esteem and more on self-compassion. Bodhipaksa, a practicing meditator of more than 30 years, effortlessly blends ancient techniques dating back to the time of the Buddha with the most recent understanding of psychology and neuroscience. And in the end, as Bodhipaksa writes, it is actually quite simple: “Life is short. Be kind.” |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Relationship Alphabet Zach Brittle, 2015-07-07 The Relationship Alphabet is an alphabetical survey of relationship topics based on the research of Dr. John Gottman. The book includes insights on communication, conflict management and friendship building. Practical discussion questions make it easy to turn ideas into action. |
| empathy exercises for couples: What Makes Love Last? John Gottman, John Mordechai Gottman, Nan Silver, 2013-09-10 One of the foremost relationship experts at work today offers creative insight on building trust and avoiding betrayal, helping readers to decode the mysteries of healthy love and relationships-- |
| empathy exercises for couples: Humanity on a Tightrope Paul R. Ehrlich, Robert E. Ornstein, 2010-12-16 More than ever, the world finds itself faced with common problems that affect most of the planet's population in some way: climate change, poverty, escalating violence, international conflicts, illness. And while an 'us v. them' mentality persists, a growing sense of empathy, of connection, with those in remote parts of the world has caught hold and is spreading. The authors argue that empathy and feelings of kinship with others are necessary to preventing the collapse of civilization. Through a careful examination of how humans must learn to relate to one another to avoid global calamity, they show how empathy can help to create a sustainable society of many billions of individuals. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Loving Bravely Alexandra H. Solomon, 2017-02-02 As seen on The TODAY Show! “A godsend to anyone searching for, but struggling to find, true love in their lives.” —Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion Empowering and compassionate, and its lessons are universal. —Publishers Weekly Real love starts with you. In order to attract a life partner and build a healthy intimate relationship, you must first become a good partner to yourself. This book offers twenty invaluable lessons that will help you explore and commit to your own emotional and psychological well-being so you can be ready, resilient, and confident in love. Many of us enter into romantic relationships full of expectation and hope, only to be sorely disappointed by the realization that the partner we’ve selected is a flawed human being with their own neuroses, history, and desires. Most relationships end because one or both people haven’t done the internal work necessary to develop self-awareness and take responsibility for their own experiences. We’ve all heard “You can’t love anyone unless you love yourself,” but amid life’s distractions and the myth of perfect, romantic love, how exactly do you do that? In Loving Bravely, psychologist, professor and relationship expert Alexandra H. Solomon introduces the idea of relational self-awareness, encouraging you to explore your personal history to gain an understanding of your own relational patterns, as well as your strengths and weaknesses in relationships. By doing so, you’ll learn what relationships actually require, beyond the fairytale notions of romance. And by maintaining a steady but gentle focus on yourself, you’ll build the best possible foundation for making a loving connection. By understanding your past relationship experiences, cultivating a strong sense of self-awareness, and determining what it is you really want in a romantic partner—you’ll be ready to find the healthy, lasting love your heart desires. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Radical Candor Kim Malone Scott, 2017-03-28 Radical Candor is the sweet spot between managers who are obnoxiously aggressive on the one side and ruinously empathetic on the other. It is about providing guidance, which involves a mix of praise as well as criticism, delivered to produce better results and help employees develop their skills and boundaries of success. Great bosses have a strong relationship with their employees, and Kim Scott Malone has identified three simple principles for building better relationships with your employees: make it personal, get stuff done, and understand why it matters. Radical Candor offers a guide to those bewildered or exhausted by management, written for bosses and those who manage bosses. Drawing on years of first-hand experience, and distilled clearly to give actionable lessons to the reader, Radical Candor shows how to be successful while retaining your integrity and humanity. Radical Candor is the perfect handbook for those who are looking to find meaning in their job and create an environment where people both love their work, their colleagues and are motivated to strive to ever greater success. |
| empathy exercises for couples: In Quest of the Mythical Mate Ellyn Bader, Peter Pearson, 2013-05-13 In Quest of the Mythical Mate presents a valuable and fertile developmental model for diagnosing and treating couples that is flexible enough to incorporate a wide variety of intervention strategies, yet purposeful enough to give a clear sense of direction to couples in distress. As such, this volume provides a powerful therapeutic approach for all professionals who treat couples. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Compassionate Commitment James Farwell, 2019-04-13 From a Relationship of Ignorance and Conflict to Awareness and Fulfillment In Buddhist psychology, it is said that the root of all pain is ignorance. Nowhere in life is our ignorance more evident and frustrating than when we attempt to relate with someone we love and find ourselves forever walking through relational minefields. We find ourselves consistently being frustrated in our efforts to relate with our partner and become upset with the way they are relating to us. This book is intended to describe what a real relationship of compassionate commitment is between two people and explores: - How to negotiate the inevitable season of struggle between partners - Providing insight into how couples will use the same words and speak different languages - The importance of not taking things personally - Understanding the role that stress plays in our relationship - Learn compassionate communication (similar to Nonviolent Communication) - Practice a mindfulness-based approach to communication The purpose of this book is to help couples gain a sense of what is going on between themselves and to help develop the awareness and skills to get beyond their confusion, frustration, pain and suffering, to a sense of fulfillment as individuals and as relational partners. Information contained in this book is the distillation of over forty-seven years work as a marriage and family therapist. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The War for Kindness Jamil Zaki, 2019 A Stanford psychologist offers a bold new understanding of empathy, revealing it to be a skill, not a fixed trait, and showing, through science and stories, how we can all become more empathetic-- |
| empathy exercises for couples: Compassion Focused Therapy Paul Gilbert, 2010-04-16 Research into the beneficial effect of developing compassion has advanced enormously in the last ten years, with the development of inner compassion being an important therapeutic focus and goal. This book explains how Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) – a process of developing compassion for the self and others to increase well-being and aid recovery – varies from other forms of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Comprising 30 key points this book explores the founding principles of CFT and outlines the detailed aspects of compassion in the CFT approach. Divided into two parts – Theory and Compassion Practice – this concise book provides a clear guide to the distinctive characteristics of CFT. Compassion Focused Therapy will be a valuable source for students and professionals in training as well as practising therapists who want to learn more about the distinctive features of CFT. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Creative Confidence Tom Kelley, David Kelley, 2013-10-15 IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation, have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us. Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the creative types. But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO, the Stanford d.school, and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Way of Integrity Martha Beck, 2021-04-13 OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A roadmap on the journey to truth and authenticity… [The Way of Integrity] is filled with aha moments and practical exercises that can guide us as we seek enlightenment.” –Oprah Winfrey Bestselling author, life coach, and sociologist Martha Beck explains why “integrity”—needed now more than ever in these tumultuous times—is the key to a meaningful and joyful life As Martha Beck says in her book, “Integrity is the cure for psychological suffering. Period.” In The Way of Integrity, Beck presents a four-stage process that anyone can use to find integrity, and with it, a sense of purpose, emotional healing, and a life free of mental suffering. Much of what plagues us—people pleasing, staying in stale relationships, negative habits—all point to what happens when we are out of touch with what truly makes us feel whole. Inspired by The Divine Comedy, Beck uses Dante’s classic hero’s journey as a framework to break down the process of attaining personal integrity into small, manageable steps. She shows how to read our internal signals that lead us towards our true path, and to recognize what we actually yearn for versus what our culture sells us. With techniques tested on hundreds of her clients, Beck brings her expertise as a social scientist, life coach and human being to help readers to uncover what integrity looks like in their own lives. She takes us on a spiritual adventure that not only will change the direction of our lives, but also bring us to a place of genuine happiness. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Self-Compassion Dr. Kristin Neff, 2011-04-19 Kristin Neff, Ph.D., says that it’s time to “stop beating yourself up and leave insecurity behind.” Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind offers expert advice on how to limit self-criticism and offset its negative effects, enabling you to achieve your highest potential and a more contented, fulfilled life. More and more, psychologists are turning away from an emphasis on self-esteem and moving toward self-compassion in the treatment of their patients—and Dr. Neff’s extraordinary book offers exercises and action plans for dealing with every emotionally debilitating struggle, be it parenting, weight loss, or any of the numerous trials of everyday living. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work John Gottman, PhD, Nan Silver, 2015-05-05 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Over a million copies sold! “An eminently practical guide to an emotionally intelligent—and long-lasting—marriage.”—Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work has revolutionized the way we understand, repair, and strengthen marriages. John Gottman’s unprecedented study of couples over a period of years has allowed him to observe the habits that can make—and break—a marriage. Here is the culmination of that work: the seven principles that guide couples on a path toward a harmonious and long-lasting relationship. Straightforward yet profound, these principles teach partners new approaches for resolving conflicts, creating new common ground, and achieving greater levels of intimacy. Gottman offers strategies and resources to help couples collaborate more effectively to resolve any problem, whether dealing with issues related to sex, money, religion, work, family, or anything else. Packed with new exercises and the latest research out of the esteemed Gottman Institute, this revised edition of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work is the definitive guide for anyone who wants their relationship to attain its highest potential. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Listening Well William R. Miller, 2018-01-03 Are you a good listener? How well do you really know the people around you? A capacity for empathic understanding is hard-wired in our brains, but its full expression involves particular listening skills that are seldom learned through ordinary experience. Through clear explanation, specific examples, and practical exercises, Dr. Miller offers a step-by-step process for developing your skillfulness in empathic listening. With a solid basis in sixty years of scientific research, these communication skills are not limited to professionals, and can be learned and applied in your everyday life. Instead of assuming that you know the meaning of what you think you heard, empathic listening lets you develop a more accurate understanding and prevent miscommunication. Empathic understanding can help to deepen personal relationships, alleviate conflict, communicate across differences, and promote positive change. The author also discusses skills for expressing yourself clearly, and for strengthening close relationships and friendships. Through empathic understanding you have access to life experience far beyond your own, and over time, listening well and deeply becomes a way of being, fostering a compassionate and patient acceptance of human frailties--those of others as well as your own. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Gamestorming Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo, 2010-07-14 Great things don't happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming. This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world's most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming. Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before Shorten meetings and make them more productive Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics Identify a problem's root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution |
| empathy exercises for couples: Be Happily Married Abby Medcalf, 2018-12-21 ARE YOU READY TO? Feel Closer and More Connected to Your Partner? Stop Having the Same Argument Over and Over? Be Happier and Finally Make Changes that Stick? It's not too late. You can reclaim your relationship AND your happiness. You just need to have the right tools to finally make it happen. Over the last 30 years I've helped thousands of people like you create connection and happiness in their relationships. Combining my hands-on experience and the latest research, I've created a proven system to transform any relationship into a connected, communication machine. My goal is, above all, to provide practical, usable tools that WORK -- not unproven ideas or pie-in-the-sky theories that sound good but do little to help you in your day-to-day life. You can create the relationship of your dreams, even if you're partner won't do a thing! In this book, you'll learn: The secret to why your past attempts at change haven't lasted. Effective tools to get your relationship unstuck, quickly and easily. How small, simple steps can get you BIG results, no matter how long you've struggled. The keys to creating a happy and connected relationship. The level of happiness in your life is DIRECTLY related to the level of happiness in your relationship. This is the last relationship book you'll ever have to read because I'll show you exactly how to get there. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Emotional Intelligence for Couples John Lee, 2011-10-07 From best-selling relationship expert comes a common-sense guide to help you and your partner increase your emotional intelligence, teaching you practical ways to express your feelings and strengthen your relationship. What makes a relationship healthy? Most men and women will respond that it's good communication to be able to openly express their own thoughts and feelings, and to better understand their partner's. Emotional Intelligence for Couples explains basic principles of emotional intelligence to equip you with common-sense ways to express your feelings, allowing you to enjoy greater intimacy, clearer communication, and a deeper connection than you have ever known. Discover answers to questions like: What actions and behaviors will make our relationship healthier? How can we practice healthy arguing and recognize healthy anger? How can we prevent our criticism, manipulation, and blame games? Why do I need personal boundaries? |
| empathy exercises for couples: Leaving the Saints Martha Nibley Beck, 2005 In a thoughtful examination of faith, bestselling author and life coach Beck chronicles her difficult decision to leave the Mormon church, and her struggle to overcome a dark secret buried in her childhood. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Imago Relationship Therapy Mo Therese Hannah, 2005-03-11 Imago Relationship Therapy It's been more than three decades since Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt—the best-selling authors of Getting the Love You Want and Keeping the Love You Find—created Imago Relationship Therapy. Their concept of the conscious marriage introduced a new paradigm for understanding the dynamics of couples. Since that time more than two thousand clinicians in twenty-eight countries have adopted and implemented this highly effective form of couples therapy. This groundbreaking book offers an overview of the highly successful Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT) and the relationship of IRT with preceding schools of thought such as psychoanalytic theory, family systems theories, affect theory, and self-psychology. At the heart of IRT is a three-step process involving mirroring (reflecting) the partner's feelings, validating the partner's point of view, and expressing empathy toward the partner's feelings. Imago Relationship Therapy traces IRT's history and explosive growth and outlines the differences and similarities between Imago theory and other models of couples therapy. The book also presents some of the ideas of prominent Imago thinkers, such as the central role of connectivity and the problem of envy in committed relationships. A uniquely important book for the practitioner, which provides clinical wisdom and a rare look into the heart and soul of Imago Relationship Therapy. —Pat Love, Ed.D., author, The Truth About Love |
| empathy exercises for couples: Couples Therapy Workbook Kathleen Mates-Youngman, LMFT, 2014-10-01 Couples Therapy Workbook is a series of guided questions to promote meaningful couple conversations and build ongoing, connected communication. The core of this unique guide is 30 guided conversations of the most critical relationship struggles. For each of the 30 topics, there is an introduction, goal-setting strategies and 10 scripted questions to ask each other - all presented in an easy-to-use mindful style. Set in a weekly format over 30 days but can be tailored to any timeframe. Designed to be used to couples, and also by therapists working with couples (bonus clinician prep included with each conversation). Week 1- Who Are We? Falling in Love, Friendship, Caring, Acceptance, Empathy, Emotional Intimacy, Rituals Week 2 - Who Am I? Childhood, Family Origin, Temperament, Influences, Spirituality, Values, How I Think Week 3- How do we work? Communication, Conflict, Defensiveness, Intimacy, Trust, Fidelity and Boundaries, Parenting, Staying in Sync Week 4 - What do we want? Romance, Joy and Gratitude, respect, Apologies and Forgiveness, Challenges, Relationship Savings Account, Past, Present & Future, Keeping Connected Reviews: “What a unique resource! A treasure-trove of guided conversations to increase intimacy and friendship. Therapists often ask me for good homework assignments. This book does the thinking for you. Keep it on hand and whether its values, sex, conflict or other challenging issues, you'll have a ready-made way to help your clients make immediate progress.” -- Ellyn Bader, Ph.D, Founder/Director The Couples Institute This is a valuable resource for anyone working with couples. Any couple can profit greatly if they are willing to take Kathleen Youngman's challenge to explore these important topics and discuss these wonderful questions. -- Milan and Kay Yerkovich, Authors of best-selling How We Love series “Instead of offering analysis, advice or theory, The Couples Therapy Workbook offers just that, a set of questions to stimulate conversations that help couples deepen their engagement with each other and reconnect. All couples will find this an exceptional guide, and all therapists will find it an effective instrument to supplement the therapeutic process. I highly recommend it and complement the author on her creativity and attention to the core details of a connected relationship.” --Harville Hendrix, Ph. D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph. D.; Authors of Making Marriage Simple and Getting the Love You Want. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Couples Companion: Meditations & Exercises for Getting the Love You Want Harville Hendrix, 1994-02 Shows how an enlightened relationship can lead to spiritual growth and personal healing and offers a life-changing program for doing so. |
| empathy exercises for couples: How to Not Die Alone Logan Ury, 2021-02-02 A “must-read” (The Washington Post) funny and practical guide to help you find, build, and keep the relationship of your dreams. Have you ever looked around and wondered, “Why has everyone found love except me?” You’re not the only one. Great relationships don’t just appear in our lives—they’re the culmination of a series of decisions, including whom to date, how to end it with the wrong person, and when to commit to the right one. But our brains often get in the way. We make poor decisions, which thwart us on our quest to find lasting love. Drawing from years of research, behavioral scientist turned dating coach Logan Ury reveals the hidden forces that cause those mistakes. But awareness on its own doesn’t lead to results. You have to actually change your behavior. Ury shows you how. This “simple-to-use guide” (Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone) focuses on a different decision in each chapter, incorporating insights from behavioral science, original research, and real-life stories. You’ll learn: -What’s holding you back in dating (and how to break the pattern) -What really matters in a long-term partner (and what really doesn’t) -How to overcome the perils of online dating (and make the apps work for you) -How to meet more people in real life (while doing activities you love) -How to make dates fun again (so they stop feeling like job interviews) -Why “the spark” is a myth (but you’ll find love anyway) This “data-driven” (Time), step-by-step guide to relationships, complete with hands-on exercises, is designed to transform your life. How to Not Die Alone will help you find, build, and keep the relationship of your dreams. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Too Good to Leave, Too Bad to Stay Mira Kirshenbaum, 1997-07-01 There are many books that promise to help you fix a bad relationship. This groundbreaking bestseller is the first one to help you choose whether you should even try—or if you need to go. Psychotherapist Mira Kirshenbaum draws on years of research and her work with real-life couples to help you make the right decision. She shows you how to diagnose your unique situation with self-analysis and questions like these, which get to the very heart of your problems: • What sins are forgivable and which ones are unpardonable? • Is your partner questioning your opinions to the point where you doubt yourself? • What is your sex life really like, and how important is it? • Is there real love left between you, and how does it stack up against all that you find unlovable? Mira Kirshenbaum provides expert guidelines that are the key to making all your choices, concrete steps that you can implement right now, and the ultimate way to determine your personal bottom line—what you need to be happy. This remarkably insightful and probing guide offers advice that lets you see the truth about your relationship—and with wisdom and compassion, it helps you act with the confidence of knowing that whether you decide to go or stay, you are doing the very best thing. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Dare to Lead Brené Brown, 2018-10-09 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead. Don’t miss the five-part HBO Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart! NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BLOOMBERG Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture? In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love. Brown writes, “One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It’s learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It’s why we’re here.” Whether you’ve read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you’re new to Brené Brown’s work, this book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Stand in My Shoes Robert Sornson, 2013 When Emily asks her big sister what the word empathy means, Emily has no idea that knowing the answer will change how she looks at people. But does it really matter to others if Emily notices how they're feeling? Stand in My Shoes shows kids how easy it is to develop empathy toward those around them. Empathy is the ability to notice what other people feel. Empathy leads to the social skills and personal relationships which make our lives rich and beautiful, and it is something we can help our children learn. This book teaches young children the value of noticing how other people feel. We're hoping that many parents read it along with their children. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Teaching Children Empathy Tonia Caselman, 2006-11 Helping children develop greater empathy-related awareness and skills can help prevent negative social behaviours such as bullying, meanness, and alienation. Empathy is a fundamental social emotion because it brings a sense of emotional connection to others. It is this awareness that is not only basic to all healthy relationships; it is the root of prosocial behaviour, altruism, kindness and peace. Empathy has cognitive, affective and behavioural components that can be learned and improved upon by children. The lessons and activities in this book are designed to: teach students the value of empathy; assist students in recognizing their own and others' feelings; help students put themselves in someone else's shoes; and instruct students how to exhibit understanding and acceptance. Each topic-related lesson includes five inviting worksheets that can be reproduced and used repeatedly with elementary school-aged students. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Forgiving Life Robert D. Enright, 2012-01-15 The Forgiving Life offers scientifically supported guidance to help people forgive those in their lives who have acted unfairly and have inflicted emotional hurt. It does not minimize the devastation of that hurt. It does not require reconciliation with the one who inflicted the hurt. Rather, it describes a process, followed with success by people around the world, to confront the pain, rise above it to forgive, and in so doing, to loosen the grip of depression, anger, and resentment that has soured life. In this book, noted forgiveness expert Robert D. Enright invites readers to learn the benefits of forgiveness and to embark on a path of forgiveness, leaving behind a legacy of love. Guided by thought-provoking questions, journaling exercises, and Enright’s kind encouragement, readers can chart their own journey through a new life of forgiveness. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy: A Therapist's Guide to Creating Acceptance and Change, Second Edition Andrew Christensen, Brian D. Doss, Neil S. Jacobson, 2020-09-15 The definitive therapist manual for Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT)—one of the most empirically supported approaches to couple therapy. Andrew Christensen, codeveloper (along with the late Neil Jacobson) of Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, and Brian Doss provide an essential manual for their evidence-based practice. The authors offer guidance on formulation, assessment, and feedback of couples’ distress from an IBCT perspective. They also detail techniques to achieve acceptance and deliberate change. In this updated edition of the work, readers learn about innovations to the IBCT approach in the 20+ years since the publication of the original edition—including refinements of core therapeutic techniques. Additionally, this edition provides new guidance on working with diverse couples, complex clinical issues, and integrating technology into a course of treatment. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The High-Conflict Couple Alan Fruzzetti, 2006-12-03 You hear and read a lot about ways to improve your relationship. But if you've tried these without much success, you're not alone. Many highly reactive couples—pairs that are quick to argue, anger, and blame—need more than just the run-of-the-mill relationship advice to solve their problems in love. When destructive emotions are at the heart of problems in your relationship, no amount of effective communication or intimacy building will fix what ails it. If you're part of a high-conflict couple, you need to get control of your emotions first, to stop making things worse, and only then work on building a better relationship. The High-Conflict Couple adapts the powerful techniques of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) into skills you can use to tame out-of-control emotions that flare up in your relationship. Using mindfulness and distress tolerance techniques, you'll learn how to deescalate angry situations before they have a chance to explode into destructive fights. Other approaches will help you disclose your fears, longings, and other vulnerabilities to your partner and validate his or her experiences in return. You'll discover ways to manage problems with negotiation, not conflict, and to find true acceptance and closeness with the person you love the most. This book has been awarded The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Self-Help Seal of Merit — an award bestowed on outstanding self-help books that are consistent with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles and that incorporate scientifically tested strategies for overcoming mental health difficulties. Used alone or in conjunction with therapy, our books offer powerful tools readers can use to jump-start changes in their lives. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples John M. Gottman, 2011-05-09 An eminent therapist explains what makes couples compatible and how to sustain a happy marriage. For the past thirty-five years, John Gottman’s research has been internationally recognized for its unprecedented ability to precisely measure interactive processes in couples and to predict the long-term success or failure of relationships. In this groundbreaking book, he presents a new approach to understanding and changing couples: a fundamental social skill called “emotional attunement,” which describes a couple’s ability to fully process and move on from negative emotional events, ultimately creating a stronger relationship. Gottman draws from this longitudinal research and theory to show how emotional attunement can downregulate negative affect, help couples focus on positive traits and memories, and even help prevent domestic violence. He offers a detailed intervention devised to cultivate attunement, thereby helping couples connect, respect, and show affection. Emotional attunement is extended to tackle the subjects of flooding, the story we tell ourselves about our relationship, conflict, personality, changing relationships, and gender. Gottman also explains how to create emotional attunement when it is missing, to lay a foundation that will carry the relationship through difficult times. Gottman encourages couples to cultivate attunement through awareness, tolerance, understanding, non-defensive listening, and empathy. These qualities, he argues, inspire confidence in couples, and the sense that despite the inevitable struggles, the relationship is enduring and resilient. This book, an essential follow-up to his 1999 The Marriage Clinic, offers therapists, students, and researchers detailed intervention for working with couples, and offers couples a roadmap to a stronger future together. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Inclusive Cultural Empathy Paul Pedersen, Hugh C. Crethar, Jon Carlson, 2008 Inclusive Cultural Empathy shows readers how to reach beyond the comfort zone of an individualistic perspective and increase competence in a relationship-centered context. The authors weave their own layered multicultural experiences with procedural, theoretical, and practical lessons to bring readers a model for how they might infuse their own clinical work with inclusion and multicultural sensitivity. The authors present a broad definition of culture - to include nationality, ethnicity, language, age, gender, socioeconomic status, family roles, and other affiliations - and engage the reader with lively examples and exercises that can be adapted for classroom, supervision groups, or individual use. With this book readers will learn how to help clients explore, discover, and leverage those internalized voices of their culture teachers that teach us who we are, how to behave, and how to resolve our problems or find life balance. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Big Book of Conflict Resolution Games: Quick, Effective Activities to Improve Communication, Trust and Collaboration Mary Scannell, 2010-05-28 Make workplace conflict resolution a game that EVERYBODY wins! Recent studies show that typical managers devote more than a quarter of their time to resolving coworker disputes. The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games offers a wealth of activities and exercises for groups of any size that let you manage your business (instead of managing personalities). Part of the acclaimed, bestselling Big Books series, this guide offers step-by-step directions and customizable tools that empower you to heal rifts arising from ineffective communication, cultural/personality clashes, and other specific problem areas—before they affect your organization's bottom line. Let The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games help you to: Build trust Foster morale Improve processes Overcome diversity issues And more Dozens of physical and verbal activities help create a safe environment for teams to explore several common forms of conflict—and their resolution. Inexpensive, easy-to-implement, and proved effective at Fortune 500 corporations and mom-and-pop businesses alike, the exercises in The Big Book of Conflict-Resolution Games delivers everything you need to make your workplace more efficient, effective, and engaged. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples Leslie S. Greenberg, Susan M. Johnson, 1988-10-07 This influential volume provides a comprehensive introduction to emotionally focused therapy (EFT): its theoretical foundations, techniques, and clinical practice. EFT is a structured approach to couple therapy that integrates intrapsychic and interpersonal perspectives to help couples create new, more satisfying interactional patterns. Since the original publication of this book, EFT has been implemented and tested with growing numbers of couples in a wide range of settings. The authors, who codeveloped the approach, illuminate the power of emotional experience in relationships and in the process of therapeutic change. The book is richly illustrated with case examples and session transcripts. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Building Successful Communities of Practice Emily Webber, 2016-02-23 Connecting with other people, finding a sense of belonging and the need for support are natural human desires. Employees who don't feel supported at work don't stay around for long - or if they do, they quickly become unmotivated and unhappy. At a time when organisational structures are flattening and workforces are increasingly fluid, supporting and connecting people is more important than ever. This is where organisational communities of practice come in. Communities of practice have many valuable benefits. They include accelerating professional development; breaking down organisational silos; enabling knowledge sharing and management; building better practice; helping to hire and retain staff; and making people happier. In this book, Emily Webber shares her learning from personal experiences of building successful communities of practice within organisations. And along the way, she gives practical guidance on creating your own. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Enhancing Empathy Laren Bays, Robert E. Freeman-Longo, 2002-01-01 Contains a series of exercises designed to help people with sexual behavior problems understand the impact their acts have on their victims and use this knowledge to avoid future incidents of abusive behavior. |
| empathy exercises for couples: You, Me and Empathy Jayneen Sanders, 2020-03 This charming story uses verse, beautiful illustrations and a little person called Quinn to model the meaning of empathy. Quinn shows an abundance of understanding, compassion and kindness towards others. Empathy is a learnt trait, and one to nurture in all children. Included are Discussion Questions and activities to promote empathy. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Connect David L. Bradford, Carole Robin, 2022-03-29 'A practical and timely book' - Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO, Thrive Global 'Valuable for everyone' - Julia Samuel, bestselling author Biting your tongue? Bottling it all up? From marriage to management challenges, learn how to change your relationships from exasperating to exceptional with this expert guide. The ability to create strong relationships with others is crucial to living a full life and becoming more effective at work. Yet many of us find ourselves struggling to build solid personal and professional connections, or unable to handle challenges that inevitably arise when we grow closer to others. When we find ourselves in an exceptional relationship -- the kind of relationship where we feel fully understood and supported for who we are -- it can seem like magic. But the truth is that the process of building and sustaining these relationships can be described, learned, and applied. David Bradford and Carole Robin taught interpersonal skills to MBA candidates for a combined seventy-five years in their legendary Stanford Graduate School of Business course Interpersonal Dynamics. Now, they share their insights with you, including: - Why relationship-building is not the process of being with 'the right person' but rather creating the kind of relationship you want - Why deepening a relationship takes risk - The importance of vulnerability, curiosity and empathy in building relationships - How the modern world can help - and hinder - our ability to connect Filled with time-tested strategies for giving feedback, negotiating boundaries, and working through disagreements, Connect will be an important resource for anyone hoping to improve existing relationships and build new ones at any stage of life. |
| empathy exercises for couples: Adult Asperger's Syndrome Kenneth E. Roberson, 2016-03-31 Do you have Asperger's Syndrome or know someone who does? Are you looking for a reference guide about Asperger's in adults? Do you have questions you'd like to ask an expert in adult Asperger's? If your answer is Yes to any of these questions, this book is for you. Clinical psychologist and Asperger's authority, Dr. Kenneth Roberson, examines the often neglected area of Asperger's in adults, covering topics such as: What causes Asperger's Syndrome? Is it different in adults than it is in children? How can you find out if you have Asperger's? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a diagnosis? What therapy is best for adults who have Asperger's? Can adults with Asperger's change? Are there benefits to having Asperger's? Can adults with Asperger's have intimate relationships? Can they be successful parents? These and many other questions are covered in this important addition to the field of Asperger's as it occurs in adults. Resources and reference material about adult Asperger's are included, along with a feature allowing readers to ask questions of Dr. Roberson. |
| empathy exercises for couples: The Compassion Book Thom Bond, 2018-09-20 2nd Edition |
Empathy Definition | What Is Empathy - Greater Good
Apr 30, 2025 · The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s …
Empathy | Greater Good
Apr 17, 2025 · The term “empathy” is used to describe a wide range of experiences. Emotion researchers generally define empathy as the ability to sense other people’s …
Six Habits of Highly Empathic People - Greater Good
Nov 27, 2012 · Empathy is a two-way street that, at its best, is built upon mutual understanding—an exchange of our most important beliefs and experiences. Organizations …
Why the World Needs an Empathy Revolution - Greater Good
Feb 1, 2019 · Empathy, she writes, involves an ability to perceive others’ feelings (and to recognize our own emotions), to imagine why someone might be feeling a certain way, and to …
Can Empathy Help You Be More Creative? - Greater Good
Mar 10, 2025 · Still, there seems to be some relationship between cognitive empathy and creative achievement, but not emotional empathy and creativity—which seems counterintuitive. After …
Why Empathy Matters - Greater Good
Nov 21, 2014 · In his new book, Empathy: Why It Matters and How to Get It, philosopher Roman Krznaric explains what empathy is and what it isn’t, and gives a powerful argument for the …
The Social Neuroscience of Empathy - Greater Good
the vicarious responses of empathy versus per-sonal distress. In the final part, we propose research questions and domains that should be given special attention by future empathy …
How to Fight Stress with Empathy - Greater Good
Jan 11, 2017 · Leading with empathy can help those around us to be sources of support in our lives and reduce the likelihood of interpersonal conflicts. This essay was adapted from The …
What’s the Matter with Empathy? - Greater Good
Jan 24, 2017 · The biggest problem with empathy, I think, is that people have trouble agreeing on exactly what it is. Far from being a problem for morality, however, I think that empathy can …
In a Divided World, We Need to Choose Empathy - Greater Good
May 29, 2019 · This is not fertile soil for empathy, and by some measures empathy has shriveled. One particularly alarming study found that the average American in 2009 was less empathic …
Couples Workbook 7 9 PDF VERSION - Between Sessions
All couples experience situaons that lead to hurt, disappointment, misunderstanding, or painful exchanges. Marital offenses can be minor (like forgeng to run an errand) or major (like …
NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION GAMES PACKAGE - sci.ngo
a technique to increase empathy and improve connection with others. It holds that most conflicts between individuals or groups come from miscommunication about their human needs. There …
Practicing Forgiveness Using the REACH Technique - Between …
compassion, sympathy, and empathy. Research indicates that emotional forgiveness offers positive health benefits because it reduces stressful reactions to and rumination about …
A Norton Professional Book - Webflow
10 Principles for Doing Effective Couples Therapy is a wonderful example of how to combine a range of scientific ideas and research findings ... Empathy, and Integration. When we teach …
The Imago Dialogue 101 Tim Atkinson, Executive Director, …
3. Empathy The third and final step of the Imago Dialogue is empathy. In the empathy step, I imagine what my partner might be feeling. Feelings are simple words like “Angry, Sad, Lonely, …
A COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO …
his attention to the problems of couples, he found that they showed the same kind of problem thinking (which he termed cognitive distortions) as did his patients. This pamphlet, based in …
How to Apologize in Five Steps - therapyaid.ca
• communicates genuine empathy • clarifies what’s allowed (and not allowed) in the relationship • expresses regret and remorse • allows you to learn from your mistakes and find new ways to …
The Science of Trust: Emotional Attunement for Couples - T …
Chapter 6 How Couples Build Trust with Attunement (pp 176-222) This chapter explains how couples get into the negative story-of-us switch by failing to “attune.” It describes how research …
CBT WORKSHEET PACKET - Beck Institute for Cognitive …
The (Traditional) Cognitive Conceptualization Diagram allows you to extract a great deal of information about clients’ most central beliefs and key behavioral patterns; it helps you …
Rebuilding intimacy following infidelity - University of …
other. Therapists working with couples must recognize the significant damage to intimacy caused by infidelity and be prepared to help couples work to rebuild closeness and connection in their …
Mirroring, Doubling and Role Reversal in Psychodramatic …
that doubling is not a therapist's ‘skill’. It is not ‘empathy’. Doubling in its conception includes the relationship, it is not the intuition but the voice of the interpsyche – the relationship between …
Teacher's Guide: Empathy (Grades 9 to 12) - KidsHealth
Empathy When life seems so fast-paced that we have difficulty taking time for ourselves, it’s easy to be less compassionate toward those around us. These activities will help students …
The Vulnerability Cycle: Working With Impasses in Couple …
narratives based on greater empathy and connectedness. This model can be applied to a variety of couplesFmarried and unmarried, heterosexual and gayFfrom diverse cultural backgrounds. …
Couple Relationship Enhancement Therapy/Prevention: A Skill …
Couples are taught these skills singly or in-groups of couples. The structured, systematic and time-designated nature of this approach adds ... Empathic Responding Skill is about empathy …
Hold Me Tight Workshop - Todd Harvey, MFT
For many couples, learning how to more effectively apologize, repair and forgive is definitely an area of “needs improvement”. Let’s practice a new model of ... In order to be non-defensive …
imago forms to fill out - Elly Wynia
STEP 3: EMPATHY RECEIVER Empathize. Unless the SENDER 'S feelings are obvious, make some guesses as to what the SENDER is or was feeling. Feelings are stated in one word (i.e., …
Training & Research Institute for Emotionally Focused …
couples in EFT. 3. Understand and describe the systemic and experiential elements of EFT. 4. Understand and describe change factors involved in a couple moving from distress to …
Ability to use techniques that engage the couple - UCL
educating couples about potential links between depression and stressful patterns of relating in the couple gathering in broader aspects of the couple’s relationship and focusing on these (for …
Validation Skills - Borderline Personality Disorder
responses, explain your own feelings after expressing understanding (empathy), acknowledge the situation, and respect the other person’s feelings, reactions, goals, emotions. We can practice …
Cross the line - Empathy - The Kindness Curriculum
Sep 3, 2020 · Empathy is important because it helps us understand how others are feeling so we can respond appropriately to situations. It is typically associated with social behaviours and …
Couples Therapy and Empathy: An Evaluation of the Impact …
Empathy and Couples Therapy Empathy is defined as an emotional response of compassion ... through a number of explicit exercises (e.g., the couples dialo-gue, the imago work-up, the …
Nurturing the Blended Family - National Institutes of Health
Empathy . Thank You ... While newlywed couples without children usually use the first months of marriage to build on their relationship, couples with children are often more consumed with the …
The Complete Adult Psychotherapy Treatment Planner, Fifth …
couples therapy, personality disorder treatment, group treatment, women’s issues, military personnel treatment, older adult treatment, and many others. Added to this expertise over the …
Active Listening: Communication Skill - Therapist Aid
speaker’s affect (e.g. responding excitedly if the speaker is excited) show interest and empathy. Verbal: “mm-hmm” / “uh-huh” “that’s interesting” “that makes sense” “I understand” Nonverbal: …
Child Psychotherapy Homework Planner - students.aiu.edu
The Couples Psychotherapy Treatment Planner, Second Edition The Employee Assistance Treatment Planner The Pastoral Counseling Treatment Planner The Older Adult …
Motivational Interviewing Strategies and Techniques
empathy. Reflective listening involves listening carefully to clients and then making a reasonable guess about what they are saying; in other words, it is like forming a hypothesis. The therapist …
Reflective Listening for Couples - WordPress.com
Communication itself: a person has lack of empathy, when people don’t really listen, and when people are defensive. Let’s just focus on addressing the communication itself: In unhealthy …
BE FEARLESS BE KIND: AN EMPATHY TOOLKIT - Hasbro
Empathy means looking up from your desk, looking around you at others, and taking ownership for the community you are in -- whether it’s a classroom, a neighborhood, a country or a …
AN EFT ROADMAP FOR COUPLES - Morgan Doolittle
creates empathy. S t e p 6 This step involves staying engaged and listening to your partner’s disclosures. Your partner may share feelings that take you by surprise. You may feel …
Building Empathy through Motivation-Based Interventions
BUILDING EMPATHY THROUGH INTERVENTION 3 Empathy—the ability to share and understand others’ thoughts and feelings— is vital to social functioning. It drives prosocial …
CBT Guide for Intimate Partner Violence - Washington State …
exercises as long as they are consistent with the overall CBT model and maintain the focus on teaching clients to learn and use new skills. That means modelling skills, having participants …
Imago Relationship Therapy and Accurate Empathy …
empathy development as defined by Truax & Carkhuff (1967). Accurate empathy is defined as a therapist’s ability to understand and to accurately communicate this understanding to a client …
Motivational Interviewing: Cheat Sheet - Health and Learning
Motivational Interviewing: Cheat Sheet The Spirit of MI Spirit is the underlying component of all MI work The Process of MI Engage – build rapport and maintain curiosity about your client Focus …
ACT Made Simple 3 - Actmindfully
Informal Mindfulness Exercises 34. Mindful Breathing Practice Form 35. Values Worksheet 36. Values Assessment Rating Form 37. Clarifying your Values 38-39. Your Values (Bullseye) 40. …
Gottman's Love Maps: A Guide to Building Intimacy
Improve empathy and understanding. Manage conflicts better by appreciating where each other is coming from. Keep discovering new things about your partner to prevent growing stale. …
IMAGO RELATIONSHIP THERAPY Trainees’ Toolbox
We believe that couples will not be able to experience the connection they desire as long as they are negating each other, by which we mean putting each other down, making each other ... - …
The EmpathyWorks Project Course Workbook
Module 3 - Empathy Roadmap to the WE Space (4 Hours) Module 3 – Chris guides you through the Empathy Roadmap a powerful, step-by-step empathy skills training program. Each step in …
Rebuilding Trust in a Relationship Worksheets - Carepatron
Couples are encouraged to reflect on each category individually and then share their thoughts with ... Creating a safe space to share vulnerabilities can deepen mutual understanding and …
InPACT 2023 - Book of Proceedings
approach integrates deep breathing exercises and techniques as well as eye contact experiences for assisting ... Connecting couples’ intervention: Improving couples’ empathy and emotional …
Vulnerability - Taking the Escalator
www.takingtheescalator.com Vulnerability • Vulnerability- Willingness to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known; willingness to risk being emotionally hurt: • Brene …
Compassionate Nonviolent Communication - GoodTherapy
• When people are most in need of empathy, they will often speak and behave in ways that will make it the most difficult for others to empathize with them. It’s therefore crucial that we ...
Inidelity: Self-Assessment, Evaluation, and the Three Stages of ...
For couples to “graduate” from therapy after inidelity, there are 3 important stages they’ll go through with you. Each stage is important to address fully before going on to the next. Part of …
Addiction, Shame, and Trauma: Starting from the Bottom …
Embodied empathy Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2013. Somatic Empathy Exercise. 1. Choose a partner 2. Partner A will think of a time they felt shame 3. Partner A will hold a pose …
Building Empathy - Texas Tech University Departments
Empathy exercises are the most useful when students are engaged in direct service rather than indirect service or advocacy. However, if students prefer indirect service learning and …
Interpersonal Effectiveness Handouts
fom DBT kills Training andouts and Worksheets, econd Edition, Marsh M linehan copyrigh 2015 Marsh M linehan permis - sio t hotocop thi andou rante urchaser DBT kills Training Manual, …
How to Rebuild Trust - Marriage365
make or break your marriage and couples need to be intentional about earning back trust when it’s been broken. Trusting your spouse after they’ve let you down might take a couple of days, …
Expectations in Marriage Worksheet - Our Peaceful Family
www.ourpeacefulfamily.com 1 Expectations in Marriage Worksheet We (Ashley and Marcus Kusi from Our Peaceful Family blog) designed this marriage expectations worksheet to go along …
REFLECT ON YOUR MOTIVATIONS & VALUES - Stanford PACS
For couples and families, it can be helpful to do this activity individually first, and then share your responses ... COLLABORATION COURAGE DIGNITY EFFECTIVENESS ACCOUNTABILITY …
