Empathy: It’s Not a Feeling; It’s a Practice - Karen Faith

“Compassion is for people who are suffering. Sympathy is for people who are suffering. Empathy is stepping out of my point of view and stepping into your point of view. And I can do that with you if you are happy, if you are confused, if you are suffering or not suffering.” - Karen Faith

Empathy is a practice, not a feeling.

Yes, you read that right.

Whether you’re naturally good at feeling it or not, there is a set of skills behind empathy that anyone can learn and get better at.

Knowing this opens a door that some people might feel has never existed for them before. And for others, it opens up the possibility to connect even more deeply with the people around them.

In this episode on The IPS Podcast, we invited Karen Faith, empathy trainer and founder of Others Unlimited—a professional training and coaching firm that provides empathy training to brands, teams, and individuals.

Some of the Questions:

- How have you come to the realization that empathy is indeed a practice and not a feeling?
- Have you noticed a difference between men and women in how they show empathy?
- What are some small or big things that you have noticed people doing that they think are helpful, but in reality are actually rather standing in the way of creating a true connection with someone?

What You Will Learn from this Episode:

- What ultimately led Karen to start Others Unlimited and give trainings on empathy
- An exercise that Karen uses in her workshops to strengthen empathy
- What unconditional welcome is

Show notes for this episode with all the resources and ways to connect with Karen: https://theipsproject.com/2023/02/how-to-strengthen-your-empathy/.
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📚The IPS Academy📚

If you feel that you’ve gained some insights and lessons from this interview, and you are curious to see what else we offer at The IPS Project, check out The IPS Academy, where we offer online courses taught by guests here on The IPS Podcast.

Learn more about essential life topics, such as mental health, relationships, the mind, and the body and the brain, through fun and interactive courses. Simply go to TheIPSProject.com/academy.
What is also interesting to note is that all the courses are quite affordable, as we at The IPS Project do not want money to stand in the way of bettering one's life.

Each course has a few lessons to try for free, so you get a taste of what the course is like. We have countless reviews from other students so you can see what others think, and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if you end up not liking the course.

Again, check them out at TheIPSProject.com/academy.
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🕒Timestamps🕒

Intro 00:00 - 03:32
Karen's TEDx Talk 03:32 - 05:34
What is unconditional welcome 05:34 - 10:00
The difference between compassion, sympathy, and empathy 10:00 - 11:10
How Karen started doing training in empathy 11:10 - 18:00
Empathy is a practice, not a feeling 18:00 - 31:48
Exercises to improve empathy 31:48 - 43:00
What people do that are not helpful 43:00 - 47:55
The IPS Academy 47:55 - 49:00
The difference between how men and women show empathy 49:00 - 54:05
Karen's list of resources to learn more about empathy 54:05 - 55:55
C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder) and self-empathy 55:55 - 1:12:54
The final question 1:12:54 - 1:14:43
Outro 1:14:43 - 1:15:49
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About The Inner Path Seekers Project (The IPS Project):

The IPS Project is an educational platform on life. Here, you can find knowledge about life topics such as mental health, relationships, the workings of the mind, the body & brain, etc.—topics we learn little to nothing about growing up. Learn more about these topics through countless practical articles, animated videos, a book library, online courses, events, a podcast, and more. Start your journey today: https://theipsproject.com/.
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#empathy #podcast #empathymatters