HISTORY OF THE TERM EMPATHY German philosopher Theodor Lipps first introduced the term Einfuhlung (empathy) around 1903 to describe how we should fully appreciate a work of art. His idea was that we should project ourselves into the work and experience it from within, rather than imposing our own frame of reference to interpret the […]
If you read my previous newsletter about trauma informed practice in conflict resolution, you will recall that one of the core trauma-informed principles is client choice. Choice is important for clients who have experienced trauma, but providing choice is also good practice for all clients. Choice supports empowerment and self-determination, which is important for conflict management, resolution
How much choice do you give your clients? Read More »
This topic is a hot one for many people in the coaching field, but it’s also relevant for people who work in mediation and other conflict resolution processes. What do we mean by advice? Before we get into some possible answers to this question, it’s important to clarify exactly what we are talking about when
Can a coach give advice to their clients? Read More »
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the concept of the amygdala hijack. You’ve probably even used it as an explanation for why we sometimes do crazy things in the heat of the moment. Maybe you (or your clients) have even used it as an excuse for bad behaviour! The problem is that while the concept
The myth of the amygdala hijack Read More »
Empathy and compassion fatigue exists across a diverse range of professionals, particularly those who deal with clients who are experiencing strong emotions. Practitioners who work with people in conflict are no stranger to strong emotions, particularly those that are considered “negative” such as anger and frustration. It is important that conflict practitioners are aware of the
Empathy and compassion fatigue and the conflict practitioner Read More »
Emotional crying (as opposed to tears that form when we have a foreign object in our eye) is a uniquely human phenomenon. Babies and young children cry a lot, but as we get older we tend to cry less frequently. This is partly because we have learned different ways to communicate to get our needs met (for
Crying in conflict Read More »
Many people think about hope as an emotion that is akin to faith or wishful thinking. However, hope theorists such as Snyder describe hope as a way of thinking. The best thing about approaching hope in this way, is that it becomes something that we can learn (and support others to develop). For our purposes,
Promoting hope in conflict Read More »
What is intertemporal choice? You may not have heard the term “intertemporal choice” but I’m sure you all experience it often. Intertemporal choice (DeSteno, 2009) is a situation in which decisions hold different consequences as time unfolds. Here’s an example using the impact of anger in a negotiation: If we are in a negotiation, and
Intertemporal choice, emotions, and conflict Read More »
The impact that a person’s emotional experience or expression may have on others depends on a few factors. Here’s a brief overview of some of the things that might make a difference. The level of interdependence of the people involved If the person perceiving the other’s emotions has no relationship with them, and no intentions
The interpersonal effects of emotions Read More »
I conducted a poll on social media recently, asking people which emotion they found the most challenging to deal with in conflict, and about half the respondents said it was anger. When we think about conflict, one of the main emotions that springs to mind is anger. Anger may lead to conflict arising. It may
