Presented to a group of approx 20 leaders in the field of mentoring at the Friends for Youth Mentoring Conference, Thursday April 18, 2013 in Santa Clara, CA

1. The Art of
Empathy
Presented by Lynn Johnson
Co-Founder/CEO, Glitter & Razz Productions LLC
Friends for Youth Annual Mentoring Conference
Thursday April 18, 2013
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2. EMPATHY
Each of us has
stories. We are
better when we are
able to tell them.
We are better when
we are able to hear
them.
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3. Requests for the Session
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

4. EMPATHY
• Sympathy – “I’m
sorry that happened Compassion
to you.”
• Empathy – “I see Empathy
your pain and I
understand.”
• Compassion – “How Sympathy
do you need me to
help?”
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

5. Empathy
• Get quiet/ Get present
• Listen to and Share our
Stories
• Identify & Accept all
Feelings
• Share examples of
Empathy in action
The ability to recognize, understand, and relate to
the humanity in each other.
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

6. Why Theater?
“Theatre is a form of
knowledge; it should and
can also be a means of
transforming society.
Theatre can help us build
our future, rather than just
waiting for it.”
– Augusto Boal, innovator,
politician, director & founder
of Theatre of the
Oppressed
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

7. Empathy: Playback Theater
• Improvisational art
form of story
sharing
• Master
“Empathizers”
• Forms that can be
practiced
livingartscenter.org
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

8. Empathy: Emotion Coaching
“Emotion Coaching is the key to raising
happy, resilient, and well-adjusted kids.”
-Christine Carter in reference to the work of John Gottman
pg. 88 of Raising Happiness
Step 1: Empathize, Label and Validate
• “I see…” or “I notice…”
• “I hear…”
• “Are you feeling…”
• “Is there anything else that you are feeling?”
• “I imagine that feels…”
• “Tell me about that.”
• “Are you saying that…”
• “It sounds to me like you feel ____, because_____.
christinecarter.com Is that right?
• “How does that make you feel?”
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

9. Empathy: Emotion Coaching
A List of Challenging Emotions
In kid-friendly language
Sad Ashamed
Scared Rejected
Frustrated Depressed
Tired Disappointed
Horrible Hateful
Mad Embarrassed
Lonely Yucky
Nervous
Jealous
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

10. Empathy: Emotion Coaching
Step 2: Deal with the Bad Behavior (if
applicable)
• “It’s okay to feel___, but it’s never okay to
___.”
Step 3: Problem-Solve
“The best ideas come from the kids themselves, when they
explore the problem from their own perspective and
knowledge.”
• “Tell me what happened to make you feel this
way.”
• “What can you do to solve this problem?”
• “What might happen if…”
• “Let’s take a look at some different choices…”
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

11. Empathy: Resources
The Go Girls! Blog & YouTube
Channel
gogirlsblog.com
youtube.com/glitterandrazz
Children Full of Life
http://youtu.be/armP8TfS9Is
An award-winning documentary
about a fourth-grade class in a in
Japan & the lessons they about
compassion from their homeroom
teacher, Toshiro Kanamori.
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

12. Starring Celia
Written by Allison Kenny, Illustrated by Thorina Rose
A chapter book about a 4th
grader who goes from
being bullied to becoming
a “Go Girl!.”
http://amzn.com/0615774725
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

13. Lynn Johnson, Co-Founder/CEO
Glitter & Razz Productions LLC
lynn@glitterandrazz.com
gogirlscamp.com
glitterandrazz.com
(c) Glitter & Razz Productions LLC, 2013.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.