Empathy: A Powerful Communication Tool

Empathy: the most effective intervention to prevent violence.

The purposes of empathy are to:

• Understand another’s feelings

• Convey your understanding to that person

• Establish trust and rapport

• Reduce anger / agitation

• Obtain accurate data

Empathy is not, as many fear, sympathy or justification or rationalization of unacceptable behaviors! It can (and often should) be used along with statements about responsibility, repercussions and consequences.

Read these articles to learn more about what Empathy is and how to use this powerful method of calming people.

Self-Empathy for Women: Learn to Take Care of Yourselves

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