The Art of Effective Listening

Imagining the feelings of someone else or how you would feel in a similar situation is sympathy, not empathy. When you sympathize in this way your emotional body merges with that of the person you are focused upon. *Trust me, the person who is longing to be heard does not want you to feel their feelings. It becomes a block for clear understanding and connection.

Empathy is the ability to hold your emotions separately while holding the space to hear them with complete focus. When a person is heard without any attachment from the listener they are more likely to experience an inner-connection. This then can lead to taking actions based on choice instead of reaction.

The focus of learning

The steps for effective listening resulting in empathetic connection
Types of Listening
Obstacles to being heard
The Power of Empathy on brain function

Awareness through Communication has helped relationships in the life areas of:

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*Trust me – As someone who processes the world through the dominant attributes of the senses (touch, smell, taste, sound and sight) when someone tries to feel my feelings, or imagine my circumstances within them, I pick up on this. This is uncomfortable as an empath. An example that perhaps both empaths and non-empaths can check into within themselves for more understanding is the overwhelming grief of loss. When each of my parents passed away others expressed their condolences in such a way that reversed the roles of support. This empath experienced each person expressing their sympathy as the ones needing support versus giving support. The sympathy being emoted was thick and burdensome. It wasn’t helpful. Empaths struggle with taking care of others.

Someone with a dominate mental characteristic has come up with the strategy of tapping into empathy using this method of projection and imagining. Unfortunately this strategy did not include the input of an empath that understood the consequences. When someone uses this technique on me I perceive it as condescending and annoying. Without the input of an empath those who use this technique are unaware that there is a pattern of interaction that creates a natural and balanced experience of empathy.

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