Chapter five presented strategies on how to develop empathy as a lived skill.
Becoming more self-aware was proposed as a means to that end through the use of the
following techniques: reflective journaling; mindfulness; obtaining feedback from
others; learning from lived experiences; and being more conscious of non-verbal
messaging. Additional strategies to increase empathy were presented by enhancing
other-awareness through: mindful listening; reading other people’s non-verbal cues;
making use of open-ended questions and seeking clarification. Practicing kindness on
purpose was recommended as another way to develop empathy. In the case in point a
social worker revealed how her encounter with a stranger helped her to experience a
change of heart. Because learning empathy is an active process and must come from
experience, a role-play simulation on hearing voices was presented.
Keywords: By-stander effect, clarification, closed-ended question, compassion,
constructive feedback, empathy, kindness, lived experience, mindful listening,
mindfulness meditation, mindless listening, non-verbal cues, open-ended question,
other-awareness, paraphrasing, reflective journaling, self-awareness.
