AD25 Workshop 03 - Advanced Empathy for Beginners (and Beginners’ Empathy for Advanced Practitioners) - David Burns, MD

Workshop 03 - Advanced Empathy for Beginners (and Beginners’ Empathy for Advanced Practitioners)

Do you know how empathic you really are? And does it actually matter? In this interactive workshop, Dr. David Burns shares surprising research showing that therapists often overestimate their empathy—and that even small blind spots can derail progress. You’ll learn powerful tools to assess and dramatically improve your empathy skills in real time. Whether you’re a seasoned clinician or new to the work, this workshop will challenge, inspire, and elevate your practice.

Topics include:

• The Five Secrets of Effective Communication

• The Law of Opposites

• Real-time empathy assessment tools

• How to respond skillfully to angry, critical patients Bring your curiosity—and your courage.

Educational Objectives:

1. Describe the accuracy of therapists in estimating their empathy for patients, as perceived by patients.

2. Describe two powerful and accurate ways to assess empathy at every therapy session.

3. Describe the philosophy of “joyous failure” when practicing the Five Secrets of Effective Communication.

4. Explain the Law of Opposites.