Three-year-old and five-year-old boys drive moving truck into neighbor’s yard barely missing the house. It’s true. Two years ago our boys climbed into the moving truck while we were loading it and knocked the faulty gear shifter out of park and disengaged the emergency brake. There were no keys in the truck and we didn’t…
Often people think that empathy and sympathy are really the same thing, when in fact, they are very, very different. This short, minute and a half video will explain and have you empathizing with the best of them in no time.
Three years ago last month some of our dear friends, Andrea and Tyler Gasser, lost their four month old little boy, Beckett. She went upstairs to her bedroom to wake him up from a nap only to find him unconscious. Days in the pediatric ICU did not revive him. I remember when I received the…
How do you know when sibling teasing becomes too much? There can be a fine line between playful banter and nasty comments. Siblings are close enough to know your quirks, your fears and your weaknesses — the good, the bad and the ugly. For someone in such a trusted role to say hurtful things can…
The following video clip beautifully illustrates the power of empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. Empathy allows us to step into someone else’s shoes, truly listen to their experiences, and relate to their emotions. It goes beyond sympathy or pity; it is a genuine effort to connect…
This is the third in a three-part series of understanding EFT through the characters in Disney’s Frozen. If you missed the first article, I’d encourage you to start there. “Part 1” and then” Part 2.” Inevitably, all of my clients want to know, “If this is normal – this pursuing and withdrawing, how do we fix…
This is the second in a three-part series of understanding EFT through the characters in Disney’s Frozen. If you missed the first article, I’d encourage you to start there. “Do You Wanna Build A Snowman” After unintentionally harming Anna with her power to freeze, Elsa’s parents warn her to stop experiencing emotion, hide her power,…
Have you seen Disney’s newest movie, Frozen? I just got home from the movie theater and can hardly wait to write this post. In addition to loving the music and animation, I was enthralled with the depth of human emotion and relationship insight that was depicted in the story. Sometimes Disney portrays key human…
Each year during the Christmas season, many of us enjoy reading or watching the classic tale of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. While the story teaches us about the importance of generosity and not being stingy, there are deeper lessons to be learned. In my opinion, empathy is the central theme of this powerful…
As a parent or caregiver, teaching children about empathy can be a real challenge. It’s not a trait that comes naturally to most kids, especially in today’s society, where self-interest tends to be the norm. That’s why it’s essential to provide children with guidance and support as they learn to understand and care about the…
You have probably heard about IQ (Intelligence Quotient), a measure of cognitive intelligence. It is often used to assess a person’s ability to reason, learn, and solve problems. Emotional intelligence (referred to as EQ or emotional quotient) is the ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as to recognize and respond…