Relational Peace Topic

Empathy

Relational Peace Topic

Empathy

As we kick off this first session, let’s remember the four main principles at the heart of this course: Genuineness, Respect, Empathy, and Warmth. These skills build on each other to help create deeper, more caring connections. But before we dive into practicing these positive skills, we need to take a closer look at what can block clear and helpful communication.

Take a moment to think about this: What do you think gets in the way of good communication in your relationships? What kinds of things make conversations difficult or less meaningful?

As we’ve learned from the course material, most of us have habits or tendencies that can create barriers in our conversations. We call these harmful barriers ‘adverse advisors.’ You might remember them from the videos or workbook with Gary. We call them adverse because they do more harm than they are helpful in a conversation. 

Now, we’re going to watch an example conversation where some of these adverse advisors show up. While you watch, pay close attention to the listener’s responses—especially the ones that aren’t so helpful. Notice how those responses affect the conversation. And as you watch, see if you can figure out which adverse advisor—or maybe even advisors—are making an appearance in this example.

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