The Empathy Factor – Creating Connection through Compassionate Communication

About the Course

Based on Marshall Rosenberg’s work on Nonviolent Communication (NVC), this course provides participants with the theory, skills and practice of establishing empathic connections in the workplace.  Participants will increase self-awareness, build effective communication skills, improve productivity and team functioning, and enhance leadership.  By learning and applying the principles and practices of Non-Violent Communication participants will experience meaningful connection through the lens of needs-based communication and a needs-based organization.  This training introduces a way to bring compassionate communication (NVC) into the workplace, in clinical/rehabilitation practice and in personal/family relationships, which results in greater satisfaction, positivity and success for individuals, families, professionals, teams, and organizations.

Course Objectives

1. Describe the basic principles of empathic communication
2. Identify the importance and benefits of empathic communication, including its application to practitioner self-awareness/self-care as ethical practice
3. Practice the four step process of empathic communication
4. Apply needs-based awareness and communication in the workplace

Target Audience

Target Audience includes psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, recovery coaches, peer specialists, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, and substance abuse counselors for this intermediate level of instruction.

CEs

Certificate of attendance provided to those who attend at least six (6) sessions

• 12.0 PCB Approved Education Credits
• 12.0 Continuing Education Credits for Licensed Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists
• 12.0 Continuing Education Credits for Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN)

About the Presenters

Penn Foundation’s clinical team and administrative leadership bring years of professional and personal experience, as well as training in NVC.  Their diverse backgrounds offer participants a variety of perspectives from the clinical, professional and organizational to family, parenting and personal relationships.

• MaryLynne Black, Clinical Supervisor, MHOP
• Sara Dobson, Director, REACH/Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation
• Renee Dwornitski, Clinical Supervisor, RCOP, Colmar
• Karen Kern, Vice President, Training / Staff Development
• Barbara Kopystecki, Clinical Supervisor, FBS
• Lu Mauro, Professional Development Specialist
• Gail Stasiw, Director, Early Intervention

Instructional Method

35% Didactic

65% Discussion & Practice

Recommended Readings

• Bond, Thom, The Compassion Book:  Lessons from the Compassion Course, One Human Publishing, 2018
• Leu, Lucy, Nonviolent Communication Companion Workbook:  A Practical Guide for Individual, Group or Classroom Study, 2nd Edition, 2015
• Miyashiro, Marie R., The Empathy Factor, Puddle Dancer Press, 2011
• Rosenberg, Marshall, Nonviolent Communication:  A Language of Life, 3rd Edition, Puddle Dancer Press, 2015