Self-Learning Support: Practicing with Others

An integral part of the learning for this program is practicing with others. It is also a way to build empathic community of connection and support in your life and strengthen resilience and the ability to access new creative possibilities with challenges.

1. Building Empathic Community of Practice and Support. In this program there are a number of ways to build empathic community of practice and support:
   - The program community Slack forum
   - The Empathy & Mindfulness in Conversation online community on Mighty Networks and Community+ membership
   - People in your personal and work life, and other communities you're part of
   - Register for my Intermediate 12-week course
2. Reaching Out. In these various places I'll be encouraging you to reach out to those with whom you feel drawn to practice.
3. Partner Practices in the Books. In terms of what to practice with a practice partner, if you read the Mindfulness in Conversation workbook and the Choosing Peace, From Conflict To Connection, and When Your Mind Sabotages Your Dreams books, you will come to suggested exercises you can do with others. I encourage you, when you get to these sections in the reading, to ask someone to practice with you and do the exercises together.
4. Additional Practices. My suggestion is that you:
   -  When you feel ready, go to the Feeling, Need, and Request worksheets and practice with those.
   - Once you feel confident practicing with each of the 4 OFNR empathic communication components, then proceed to the Elements of Empathy handout and 6 Minute Exercise worksheet.
   - You can practice with the same person, or have multiple people you practice with. I encourage you to practice with as many people as you can so you build your empathic community. I have also found that you learn different and valuable things practicing with different people.
   - Cycle back through the Observation, Feeling, Need, Request worksheet partner practice as much as serves you.
5. Training with Resistance & Fearlessness. See the next Self-Learning Support page on Training with Resistance & Fearlessness.