New York Times: How to Foster Empathy in Children

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To learn techniques to manage your empathy get my PDF “Life Strategies for Sensitive People”.

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What is Empathy?

What is empathy? Ordinary empathy means our heart goes out to another person when they are going through a difficult period. It also means that we can be happy for others during their times of joy.

But for many empaths and highly sensitive people their empathy quotient (EQ) is out of balance. They wear an invisible sign saying, “I can help you.” Then they take the other person’s emotions, energy, and physical symptoms in their bodies because they don’t have the usual filters that most other people have. They can experience other people’s sorrow and also their joy. They are super-sensitive to other’s tone of voice and body movements. They can hear what other’s don’t say in words but communicate nonverbally and through silence.

Empaths may feel there is no on/off switch for their empathy. This is not true. A skill that sensitive people must learn is how to deal with empathy overload when too much is coming at them. In my book Empath’s Survival Guide and my Empath Support Video Online Course I show empaths how to take charge of their sensitivities rather than feeling victimized by them. When empaths feel protected and safe, then they have the empowerment to be the empathic leaders that is so needed in the world today.

The world needs more empathic leaders, parents and people in every profession. Empathy allows you to understand where another person is coming from even if you don’t agree with them. It bridges differences and opens communication with others. Just as intelligence can be measured with an IQ, empathy can also be assessed with an Empathy Quotient (EQ). To discover your level of EQ click HERE to take the Empathy Quotient Quiz.

Discover if you’re an empath? Take the test Here to determine your empath score.

Judith Orloff, MD is a New York Times bestselling author with the upcoming book The Genius of Empathy: Practical Skills to Heal Yourself, Your Relationships and the World (Foreword by the Dalai Lama). She has also written The Empath’s Survival Guide and Thriving as an Empath, which offers daily self-care tools for sensitive people. She integrates the pearls of conventional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition, empathy, energy medicine, and spirituality. Dr. Orloff specializes in treating empaths and highly sensitive people in her private practice and online internationally. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Oprah Magazine, the New York Times and USA Today. Dr. Orloff has spoken at Google-LA, TEDx U.S. and TEDx Asia. More information about Dr. Orloff’s Empathy Training Programs for businesses, The Empath Survival Guide Online Course and speaking schedule at www.drjudithorloff.com.

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