# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Session 1 Putting Theories Into Practice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Putting Theories Into Practice: Engaging in Empathy and Trauma-Informed Librarianship, Part 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Putting Theories Into Practice: Engaging in Empathy and Trauma-Informed Librarianship, Part 2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Emma Karin's Values in Action Worksheet 2023

# data[].attributes.headline
Padlet from "Uh-Oh. People." Working with the Public webinars

# data[].attributes.subject
Padlet from "Uh-Oh. People." Working with the Public webinars

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Urban Library Trauma Study (ULTS) used emancipatory and participatory action research frameworks to explore how public library workers in urban centers experience trauma while providing library services and create a path forward for exploring institutional and individual solutions that will enable library workers and their institutions to continue providing vital library services to communities in need while still caring for the well being of staff.

About

The Urban Library Trauma Study (ULTS) is an attempt to capture, quantify, and respond to some of the trauma, stress, and burnout experienced by urban public library workers so that public facing staff can work together to innovate solutions. The project included 4 stages;

a comprehensive review of current literature on the topic of trauma in libraries

a survey of urban library workers

a series of virtual focus groups for urban library workers to discuss workplace issues around trauma

the culmination of the project was a National Forum of urban library workers, where we convened to go through the research and worked together to create a framework for moving forward.

Literature Review

Research fellows and staff engaged in a literature review looking at issues of trauma in urban public library settings from a wide variety of view points. In addition to looking at library science literature, researchers reviewed resources on primary and secondary trauma from adjacent professions like social work to look for best practices or studies that could be modified for use in urban public libraries.

Annotated Bibliography - This is our full annotated bibliography as an Airtable base, please note that we have provided content warnings where we thought they were appropriate. If you would prefer not to engage with that content please use the filter at the top of the spreadsheet to hide those records.
Printable Annotated Bibliography
Written Literature Review

Survey

The Urban Library Trauma Study survey was intended to collect information that could be used by forum participants to inform their ideas for potential solutions to the issue of workplace trauma in urban public libraries. The survey questions were drafted to draw out the broader trends of adverse experiences and trauma in libraries, while also eliciting descriptions of events and impacts on public service staff. It was distributed as a google form between August 7, 2021 and September 29, 2021. We received 568 responses, of which 435 were useable responses from urban public library staff.
Survey Questions
Written Survey Summary
Written Focus Group Summary
Focus Group Facilitation Guide
Focus Group Notes Survey Data Visualizations
Focus Groups
The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this report do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
In order to gain a deeper understanding of the issue of workplace trauma in urban public libraries we followed up the survey with a series of focus groups. The focus groups enabled us to have conversations that delved more deeply into the areas of concern raised by the survey. In September 2021, we hosted six focus groups with a total of 58 participants from libraries across the country.

Forum

Forum participants clustering and sorting their ideas. Photo credit: Brynna Tucker

The Urban Library Trauma Study hosted a national forum on the topic of practical solutions to the problem of trauma in urban public library work from March 9th - 11th 2022. Approximately 25 individuals participated in a design sprint to process the research gleaned through a literature review, a survey, and a series of focus groups over the last year. The purpose of this forum was to produce practicable responses to the ongoing issue of trauma in the library workplace.

Forum Participant Packet
Pre-forum Meeting Facilitation Guide
Forum Facilitation Guide
Forum Documentation
Forum Posters

Partners

The Urban Library Trauma Study is a partnership between the New York Library Association, Urban Librarians Unite, and St John's University.

Thank you to the amazing research fellows who have joined us in doing this work, the project could not happen without them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Urban Library Trauma Study (ULTS) used emancipatory and participatory action research frameworks to explore how public library workers in urban centers experience trauma while providing library services and create a path forward for exploring institutional and individual solutions that will enable library workers and their institutions to continue providing vital library services to communities in need while still caring for the well being of staff.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you. There are five key elements to EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. People with high EI can identify how they are feeling, what those feelings mean, and how those emotions impact their behavior and in turn, other people. It's a little harder to "manage" the emotions of other people - you can't control how someone else feels or behaves. But if you can identify the emotions behind their behavior, you'll have a better understanding of where they are coming from and how to best interact with them.

High EI overlaps with strong interpersonal skills, especially in the areas of conflict management and communication - crucial skills in the workplace. Employees who can self-regulate their emotions are often able to avoid making impulsive decisions - they think objectively before they act. Operating with empathy and understanding is a critical part of teamwork; being able to attribute someone's behavior to an underlying emotion will help you manage relationships and make others feel heard. On an individual level, being aware of your feelings is the first step in not letting those feelings control you. Recognizing how you feel and why will help you to sit with those feelings and then move forward in a productive way.

Effective leaders are often very emotionally intelligent. In the workplace, it's important for leaders to be self-aware and able to view things objectively. This translates into understanding your strengths and weaknesses and acting with humility. This has to be balanced with empathy - employees who feel appreciated and valued at work aren't only happier, but more productive.

Fortunately, you can improve your EI skills with some thoughtfulness and practice:

Try to slow down your reactions to emotions - next time you feel angry, try to sit with it before lashing out. Why are you angry? Did someone upset you? What do you think was the emotion underneath their behavior?

Think about your strengths and weaknesses. No one is good at everything, and that's okay! Know yourself and when to ask for - or offer - help.

Put in the effort to understand what people are communicating non-verbally. If you ask someone to help you on a project and they agree, but sound hesitant, recognize that they may feel overwhelmed or confused or they come from a different background and understanding than your own. It's important to validate and address that before moving forward.

Work on communicating effectively and openly. Make sure your main point is clear, cut out information that isn't relevant to the person you're talking with, and give your full attention when someone else is speaking.

More Information: What are some mentally healthy management practices? Types of Toxic Work Environments and How to Address Them How can we create a diverse and inclusive work environment? References: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership What Is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional Intelligence: Developing Strong "People Skills" Emotional Intelligence: EQ or EI Back to Employer Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is emotional intelligence and how does it apply to the workplace?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you. There are five key elements to EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. People with high EI can identify how they are feeling, what those feelings mean, and how those emotions impact their behavior and in turn, other people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In Brief

Vocational awe describes the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in notions that libraries as institutions are inherently good, sacred notions, and therefore beyond critique. I argue that the concept of vocational awe directly correlates to problems within librarianship like burnout and low salary. This article aims to describe the phenomenon and its effects on library philosophies and practices so that they may be recognized and deconstructed.

by Fobazi Ettarh
Author's note: I use "librarians" here very broadly. I am not limiting the term to those who have the MLIS because vocational awe affects those who work in libraries at every level. I would argue that it often affects staff more than it does librarians due to the sociodemographics of people in staff level positions as well as the job precarity that many staff positions hold.
Introduction

On its face, it seems natural that libraries and librarians should celebrate these stories. Indeed, these librarians are working to save the democratic values of society as well as going above and beyond to serve the needs of their neighbors and communities. However, when the rhetoric surrounding librarianship borders on vocational and sacred language rather than acknowledging that librarianship is a profession or a discipline, and as an institution, historically and contemporarily flawed, we do ourselves a disservice.

"Vocational awe" refers to the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries as institutions are inherently good and sacred, and therefore beyond critique. In this article, I would like to dismantle the idea that librarianship is a sacred calling; thus requiring absolute obedience to a prescribed set of rules and behaviors, regardless of any negative effect on librarians' own lives. I will do this by demonstrating the ways vocational awe manifests. First, I will describe the institutional mythologies surrounding libraries and librarians. Second, I will dismantle these mythologies by demonstrating the role libraries play in institutional oppression. Lastly, I will discuss how vocational awe disenfranchises librarians and librarianship. By deconstructing some of these assumptions and values so integrally woven into the field, librarianship can hopefully evolve into a field that supports and advocates for the people who work in libraries as much as it does for physical buildings and resources.

Part One: The Mythos of Libraries and Librarianship

Librarianship as Vocation

The word "vocation" (from the Latin vocatio) is defined as "a call, summons," and stemmed from early Christian tradition, where it was held that the calling required a monastic life under vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Indeed, from its earliest biblical instantiations, a vocation refers to the way one lives in response to God's call. Although the word has since become used in more secular contexts, my use of the word "vocation" to describe contemporary views of librarianship skews closer to its original religious context, especially concerning the emphasis on poverty and obedience. Many librarians refer to the field of librarianship as a calling. ,  Their narratives of receiving the "call" to librarianship often fall right in line with Martin Luther's description of vocation as the ways a person serves God and his neighbour through his work in the world. The links between librarianship and religious service are not happenstance. Indeed, the first Western librarians were members of religious orders, serving the dual functions of copying and maintaining book collections.

The Library as a Sacred Place

The physical space of a library, like its work, has also been seen as a sacred space. One could argue that it is treated like a sanctuary, both in its original meaning (keeper of sacred things and people), and in its more contemporary meaning as a shelter or refuge. Again, the original libraries were actual monasteries, with small collections of books stuffed in choir lofts, niches, and roofs. The carrels still prevalent in many libraries today are direct descendants of these religious places. The word "carrel" originally meant "working niche or alcove" and referred to a monastery cloister area where monks would read and write. Reflecting their conjoined history, churches and libraries had similar architectural structures. These buildings were built to inspire awe or grandeur, ,  and their materials meant to be treated with care. Even now the stereotypical library is often portrayed as a grandiose and silent space where people can be guided to find answers. The Bodleian Library, one of the oldest and largest libraries in Europe, still requires those who wish to use the library to swear an oath to protect the library: "I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame, and not to smoke in the Library; and I promise to obey all rules of the Library."

Although contemporary architectural designs of libraries may not evoke the same feelings of awe they once did, libraries continue to operate as sanctuaries in the extended definition as a place of safety. Many libraries open their spaces to the disadvantaged and displaced populations in the community such as the homeless or the mentally ill. In the protests and civil unrest following the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the Ferguson Municipal Public Library (FMPL) became a makeshift school for children in the community. When the story went viral, there was an outpouring of books, supplies, and lunches for the children. The hashtag #whatlibrariesdo became a call to action and resulted in a huge spike in PayPal donations to FMPL. In addition, the sign on the library's door stated, "During difficult times, the library is a quiet oasis where we can catch our breath, learn, and think about what to do next." In this way, the library becomes a sanctuary threefold, a place where one can listen to the "still, small, voice," a shelter for displaced populations, and a source of humanitarian aid. Since Ferguson, similar responses have occurred in libraries after major events in other areas such as Charlottesville, Virginia. And, in the current sociopolitical climate, much of the discourse surrounding these libraries center them as "safe spaces."

Librarians as Priests and Saviors

If librarians are priests then their primary job duty is to educate and to save. Biven-Tatums notes that public libraries "began as instruments of enlightenment, hoping to spread knowledge and culture broadly to the people." The assumption within librarianship is that libraries provide the essential function of creating an educated, enlightened populace, which in turn brings about a better society. Using that logic, librarians who do good work are those who provide culture and enlightenment to their communities. Saint Lawrence, the Catholic Church's official saint of librarians and archivists, is revered for being dangled over a charcoal fire rather than surrender the Church archives. Today, librarians continue to venerate contemporary "saints" of librarianship. One example is the "Connecticut Four," four librarians who fought a government gag order when FBI agents demanded library records under the Patriot Act. And now Kowalski joins the ranks as a library "saint" through the literal saving of lives with Naloxone. All of these librarians set the expectation that the fulfillment of job duties requires sacrifice (whether that sacrifice is government intimidation or hot coals), and only through such dramatic sacrifice can librarians accomplish something "bigger than themselves."

Part Two: Locating the Library in Institutional Oppression

It is no accident that librarianship is dominated by white women. Not only were white woman assumed to have the innate characteristics necessary to be effective library workers due to their true womanhood, characteristics which include missionary-mindedness, servility, and altruism and spiritual superiority and piety, but libraries have continually been "complicit in the production and maintenance of white privilege." These white women librarians in public libraries during the turn-of-the-century U.S. participated in selective immigrant assimilation and Americanization programs, projects "whose purpose was to inculcate European ethnics into whiteness" Librarianship, like the criminal justice system and the government, is an institution. And like other institutions, librarianship plays a role in creating and sustaining hegemonic values, as well as contributing to white supremacy culture. James and Okun define white supremacy culture as the ways that organizations and individuals normalize, enact, and reinforce white supremacy. Cultural representations of libraries as places of freedoms (like freedom of access and intellectual freedom), education, and other democratic values do not elide libraries' white supremacy culture with its built-in disparity and oppression. In fact, each value on which librarianship prides itself is inequitably distributed amongst society. Freedom of access is arguably the most core value of librarianship. It runs throughout the entire Library Bill of Rights and is usually defined as the idea that all information resources provided by the library should be distributed equally, and be equitably accessible to all library users.

There have been, however, vast exceptions to this ideal. Quantitatively, the most significant of these exceptions was the exclusion of millions of African Americans from public libraries in the American South during the years before the civil rights movement. White response to desegregation efforts in public libraries varied. While some libraries quietly and voluntarily integrated, other libraries enforced "stand-up integration," removing all of the tables and chairs from the building to minimize the interaction of the races in reading areas, or shut down the branch entirely. The result of these segregationist practices in libraries was a massive form of censorship, and this history demonstrates that access to materials is often implicated in larger societal systems of (in)equality. This should then hold true for other library values as well.

Part Three: Martyrdom is not a long-lasting career

Up until this point, it might seem like I believe librarians should not take pride in their very important work. Or that librarians who love their work and have a passion for library values possess some inherent flaw. This is not my intent. Rather, I challenge the notion that many have taken as axiomatic that libraries are inherently good and democratic, and that librarians, by virtue of working in a library, are responsible for this "good" work. This sets up an expectation that any failure of libraries is largely the fault of individuals failing to live up to the ideals of the profession, rather than understanding that the library as an institution is fundamentally flawed. Below, I mention the primary ways vocational awe negatively impacts librarians.

Awe

We've now uncovered the roots of vocation within librarianship and its allusions to religiosity and the sacred. The vocational metaphor helps us understand cause. However, it is important not to forget awe, which represents the effect. Merriam-Webster defines awe as "an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred." As mentioned earlier, libraries were created with the same architectural design as churches in order to elicit religious awe. Awe is not a comforting feeling, but a fearful and overwhelming one. One of its earliest uses was within the Hindu epic Mahabarata. The God Krishna inspired awe in the protagonist Arjuna and commanded him: "Do works for Me, make Me your highest goal, be loyal-in-love to Me, cut all [other] attachments..." A more modern, secular example of awe is the military doctrine "shock and awe," which is characterized as rapid dominance that relies on the use of overwhelming power and spectacular displays of force to paralyze the enemy's perception of the battlefield and destroy their will to fight. In both cases, awe is used as a method of eliciting obedience from people in the presence of something bigger than themselves.

As part of vocational awe in libraries, awe manifests in response to the library as both a place and an institution. Because the sacred duties of freedom, information, and service are so momentous, the library worker is easily paralyzed. In the face of grand missions of literacy and freedom, advocating for your full lunch break feels petty. And tasked with the responsibility of sustaining democracy and intellectual freedom, taking a mental health day feels shameful. Awe is easily weaponized against the worker, allowing anyone to deploy a vocational purity test in which the worker can be accused of not being devout or passionate enough to serve without complaint.

Burnout

Under-compensation

"One doesn't go into librarianship for the money" is a common refrain amongst library workers, and the lack of compensation for library work is not a recent phenomenon. A 1929 report summarized that "improvement in these conditions has not yet reached a point where librarianship may be said to receive proper recognition and compensation." And in the 2017 Library Journal 's Placements and Salaries survey, graduates overwhelmingly pointed to underemployment issues as a source of unhappiness, including low wages; lack of benefits; having to settle for part-time, temporary, or nonprofessional positions; or having to piece together two or three part-time positions to support themselves. Librarians' salaries continue to remain lower than those for comparable jobs in professions requiring similar qualifications and skills. Statistics like these point to the very secular realities of librarians. Librarianship is a job, often paid hourly. It's not even everyone's primary job. It has sick time, and vacation-or should-and imagining these facts aren't important because of the importance of the library's mission only serves the institution itself.

Through its enforcement of awe through the promotion of dramatic and heroic narratives, the institution gains free, or reduced price, labor. Through vocational mythologies that reinforce themes of sacrifice and struggle, librarianship sustains itself through the labor of librarians who only reap the immaterial benefits of having "done good work."

Job creep

Job creep refers to the "slow and subtle expansion of job duties" which is not recognized by supervisors or the organization. As this article argues, librarians are often expected to place the profession and their job duties before their personal interests. And with such expectations, job creep can become a common phenomenon. The problem with job creep manifests in multiple ways. One, what employees originally did voluntarily is no longer considered "extra" but instead is simply viewed as in-role job performance, which leads to more and more responsibilities and less time in which to accomplish them. Employees who cannot do more than what is in the job description, perhaps for personal or health reasons, are consequently seen as not doing even the minimum, and management may come to believe that workers are not committed to the organization, or its mission, if they don't do extra tasks. Returning to Chera Kowalski and all of the other librarians currently training to administer, and already administering, anti-overdose medication, this expectation has gone so far as to create a precedent for Representative Maloney to introduce the Life-saving Librarians Act. No longer are these trainings voluntary "extra" professional development; it will likely soon become part of the expected responsibilities of librarians across the country.

Adding duties like life-or-death medical interventions to already overstrained job requirements is an extreme but very real example of job creep. And with the upholding of librarianship as purely service-oriented and self-sacrificing, what is a librarian to do who may not feel equipped to intervene as a first responder? Or a librarian who is dedicated to, say, a library value of children's literacy or freedom of information, but because of past traumas, cannot cope with regular exposure to loss of life on the job? Librarianship as a religious calling would answer that such a librarian has failed in her duties and demonstrated a lack of purity required of the truly devout. And without the proper training and institutional support that first responders, social workers, and other clinicians have, librarians, through such job creep, are being asked to do increasingly dangerous emotional and physical labor without the tools and support provided to other professions traditionally tasked with these duties. As newspapers, Clinton, and librarians around the nation celebrate Kowlaski and others like her, we must ask if those voices will chime in to also demand the therapy and medical services typically needed for PTSD and other common ailments of those working in such severe conditions. Do we expect those benefits to manifest, or librarians to again quietly suffer the consequences of their holy calling, saving society at the expense of their own emotional well-being?

Diversity

By the very nature of librarianship being an institution, it privileges those who fall within the status quo. Therefore librarians who do exist outside librarianship's center can often more clearly see the disparities between the espoused values and the reality of library work. But because vocational awe refuses to acknowledge the library as a flawed institution, when people of color and other marginalized librarians speak out, their accounts are often discounted or erased. Recently, Lesley Williams of Evanston, Illinois, made headlines for being fired from her library due to comments (on her personal social media accounts), illustrating the hypocritical actions of her library in regards to the lack of equitable access to information. Although she was advocating for the core library value of equitable access, similar to that of the "Connecticut Four," her actions were regarded as unprofessional.

As I mentioned earlier, vocational awe ties into the phenomena of job creep and undercompensation in librarianship due to the professional norms of service-oriented and self-sacrificing workplaces. But creating professional norms around self-sacrifice and underpay self-selects those who can become librarians. If the expectation built into entry-level library jobs includes experience, often voluntary, in a library, then there are class barriers built into the profession. Those who are unable to work for free due to financial instability are then forced to either take out loans to cover expenses accrued or switch careers entirely. Librarians with a lot of family responsibilities are unable to work long nights and weekends. Librarians with disabilities are unable to make librarianship a whole-self career.

Conclusions

Considering the conjoined history of librarianship and faith, it is not surprising that a lot of the discourse surrounding librarians and their job duties carries a lot of religious undertones. Through the language of vocational awe, libraries have been placed as a higher authority and the work in service of libraries as a sacred duty. Vocational awe has developed along with librarianship from Saint Lawrence to Chera Kowalski. It is so saturated within librarianship that people like Nancy Kalikow Maxwell can write a book, Sacred Stacks: The Higher Purpose of Libraries and Librarianship, not only detailing connections between librarianship and faith, but concluding the book by advising librarians to nurture that religious image conferred upon them. The ideals of librarianship are not ignoble, and having an emotional attachment to the work one does is not negative in itself, and is often a valued goal in most careers. What I have tried to do with this article is illustrate that history and expose the problematic underpinnings. Because vocational awe is so endemic and connected to so many aspects of librarianship, the term gives the field a way to name and expose these things that are so amorphous that they can be explained or guilted away, much like microaggressions. And, through the power of naming, can hopefully provide a shield librarians can use to protect themselves.

The problem with vocational awe is the efficacy of one's work is directly tied to their amount of passion (or lack thereof), rather than fulfillment of core job duties. If the language around being a good librarian is directly tied to struggle, sacrifice, and obedience, then the more one struggles for their work, the "holier" that work (and institution) becomes. Thus, it will become less likely that people will feel empowered, or even able, to fight for a healthier workspace. A healthy workplace is one where working around the clock is not seen as a requirement, and where one is sufficiently compensated for the work done, not a workplace where "the worker [is] taken for granted as a cog in the machinery."

Libraries are just buildings. It is the people who do the work. And we need to treat these people well. You can't eat on passion. You can't pay rent on passion. Passion, devotion, and awe are not sustainable sources of income. The story of Saint Lawrence may be a noble one, but martyrdom is not a long-lasting career. And if all librarians follow in his footsteps, then librarianship will cease to exist. You might save a life when wandering outside for lunch, but you deserve the emotional support you'll no doubt need as a result of that traumatic event. You may impress your supervisor by working late, but will that supervisor come to expect that you continually neglect your own family's needs in the service of library patrons? The library's purpose may be to serve, but is that purpose so holy when it fails to serve those who work within its walls every day? We need to continue asking these questions, demanding answers, and stop using vocational awe as the only way to be a librarian.

Thanks and Acknowledgments

I'm very much indebted to the amazing and knowledgeable editors at In the Library with the Lead Pipe, and in particular to Sofia Leung and nina de jesus for diligently removing all traces of footnote inconsistency, tense changes, and rogue commas, as well as helping me create the best possible version of this article. I would also like to thank Amy Koester for keeping us all on track when necessary, and also being incredibly flexible when life inevitably got in the way. Finally, I would like to thank my partner for providing copious support as she listened to me whine and provided a steady stress writing diet of Salt and Vinegar Pringles and Uncrustables. Any mistakes left in this document are most definitely my own.

Works Cited

"Core Values of Librarianship of the American Library Association."Accessed December 4, 2017. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/corevalues

Anonymous. "Who would be a librarian now? You know what, I'll have a go." The Guardian. March, 2016.

Biddle, Sam and Woodman, Spencer. "These are the technology firms lining up to build Trump's "Extreme Vetting Program.'" The Intercept. August 7 2017.

Bivens-Tatum, Wayne. Libraries and the Enlightenment. Library Juice Press, 2012.

Clinton, Rodham Hilary. "Closing General Session" (speech, Chicago, Illinois, June 27, 2017), American Library Association Annual Conference, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/HRC-Transcript.pdf

de jesus, nina. Locating the Library in Institutional Oppression. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. September 24, 2014.

Emmelhainz, Celia, Seale, Maura, and Erin Pappas. "Behavioral Expectations for the Mommy Librarian: The Successful Reference Transaction as Emotional Labor." The Feminist Reference Desk: Concepts, Critiques and Conversations, edited by Maria T. Accardi, 27-45. Library Juice Press: Sacramento, CA, 2017. escholarship.org/uc/item/2mq851m0

Emmet, Dorothy. "Vocation." Journal of Medical Ethics 4, no. 3:(1978): 146-147.

Easwaran, Eknath. The Bhagavad Gita. Tomales: Nilgiri Press, 2009.

Foster, Nancy Fried. "The Mommy Model of Service." In Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester, edited by Nancy Fried Foster and Susan Gibbons, 72-78. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2007.

Frankenberg, R. White women, race matters: The social construction of whiteness. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1993.

Garrison, D. The tender technicians: The feminization of public librarianship, 1876- 1905. Journal of Social History, (1972). 6 no. 2, 131-159.

Garrison, D. Apostles of culture: The public librarian and American society, 1876-1920. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1979.

Graham, Patterson Toby. A Right to Read : Segregation and Civil Rights in Alabama's Public Libraries, 1900-1965. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2002.

Harwell, Kevin. "Burnout Strategies for Librarians." Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship 13, no. 3 (2008): 379-90.

Hildenbrand, S. Reclaiming the American library past: Writing the women in. Norwood, NJ: Ablex, 1996.

Houdyshell, Mara, Patricia A. Robles, and Hua Yi. "What Were You Thinking: If You Could Choose Librarianship Again, Would You?" Information Outlook, July 3, 1999, 19- 23.

Hunter, Gregory. Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York: Neal Schuman, 1997.

Inklebarger, Timothy. 2014. "Ferguson's Safe Haven." American Libraries 45, no. 11/12: 17-18.

Jacobsen, Teresa L. "Class of 1988." Library Journal, July 12, 2004, 38- 41.

Jones, Kenneth, and Okun, Tema. Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups, ChangeWork, 2001 http://www.cwsworkshop.org/PARC_site_B/dr-culture.html

Julien, Heidi, and Shelagh Genuis. "Emotional Labour in Librarians' Instructional Work." Journal of Documentation 65, no. 6 (2009): 926-37.

Kaser, David. The Evolution of the American Academic Library Building. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1997.

Keltner, D, and Haidt, J. "Approaching awe, a moral, spiritual, and aesthetic emotion." Cognition and Emotion 17, no. 2 (2003): 297-314.

Linden, M., I. Salo, and A. Jansson. "Organizational Stressors and Burnout in Public Librarians." Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 2016.

Maxwell, Nancy Kalikow. Sacred Stacks: The Higher Purpose of Libraries and Librarianship. Chicago: American Library Association, 2006.

Mukherjee, A. K. Librarianship: Its Philosophy and History. Asia Publishing House, 1966.

Newell, Mike. "For these Philly librarians, drug tourists and overdose drills are part of the job" The Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA), June 1, 2017.

Newhouse, Ria, and April Spisak. "Fixing the First Job." Library Journal, Aug. 2004, 44- 46.

Pawley, Christine, and Robbins, Louise S. Libraries and the Reading Public in Twentieth-Century America. Print Culture History in Modern America. Madison, WI: U of Wisconsin P, 2013.

Peet, Lisa. "Ferguson Library: a community's refuge: library hosts children, teachers during school closing." Library Journal, January 1, 2015.

Pevsner, Nikolaus. A History of Building Types. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1976.

Pitcavage, Mark. "With Hate in their Hearts: The State of White Supremacy in the United States" last modified July 2015. https://www.adl.org/education/resources/reports/state-of-white-supremacy

Rosen, Ellen. Improving Public Sector Productivity: Concepts and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Sage Publications, 1993.

Rubin, Richard E. Foundations of Library and Information Science. Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc, 2010.

Scholes, Jefferey. "Vocation." Religion Compass, 4 (2010): 211-220. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-8171.2010.00215.x

Schlesselman-Tarango, Gina. "The Legacy of Lady Bountiful: White Women in the Library." Library Trends, (2016) 667-86. Retrieved from: http://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/library-publications/34.

Van Dyne, and Ellis, "Job creep: A reactance theory perspective on organizational citizenship behavior as overfulfillment of obligations," in The employment relationship: examining psychological and contextual perspectives, edited by Phillip Appleman New York : Oxford University Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Vocational Awe and Librarianship: The Lies We Tell Ourselves

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Vocational awe describes the set of ideas, values, and assumptions librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in notions that libraries as institutions are inherently good, sacred notions, and therefore beyond critique. I argue that the concept of vocational awe directly correlates to problems within librarianship like burnout and low salary.

# data[].attributes.headline
SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach

# data[].attributes.subject
SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Programs, organizations, and systems that make a commitment to implementation will differ in many ways-from the service context, to the motivation for change, to hoped-for outcomes, and resources available. Nonetheless, in a developmental way, implementation moves through a number of common steps that we've tried to reflect in the Road Map below. The Trauma Informed Care Screening Tool builds on the Road Map by delving into each phase and offering a series of developmental actions within each step. These tools go hand in hand.

Using the Interactive Road Map
To learn more about each phase of implementing trauma informed care hover your mouse over or click on sections on the road to navigate to pages that offer more information by providing examples of what the actions entail and potential ways to measure your progress. This information will align with the actions of the Trauma Informed Care Screening Tool.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Programs, organizations, and systems that make a commitment to implementation will differ in many ways-from the service context, to the motivation for change, to hoped-for outcomes, and resources available. Nonetheless, in a developmental way, implementation moves through a number of common steps that we've tried to reflect in the Road Map below.

# data[].attributes.headline
Trauma Informed Toolkit for Homeless Services

# data[].attributes.subject
Trauma Informed Toolkit for Homeless Services

# data[].attributes.body
I am quoted in this article! Which I think is pretty neat :)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Working Toward Wellness- Exploring Trauma-Informed Librarianship Library Journ

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Grounding is a practice that can help you pull away from flashbacks, unwanted memories, and negative or challenging emotions.

Grounding techniques are exercises that may help you refocus on the present moment to distract yourself from anxious feelings.

You can use grounding techniques to help create space from distressing feelings in nearly any situation, but they're especially helpful for improving:

These techniques use your five senses or tangible objects - things you can touch - to help you move through distress.

1. Put your hands in water

Focus on the water's temperature and how it feels on your fingertips, palms, and the backs of your hands. Does it feel the same in each part of your hand?

Use warm water first, then cold. Next, try cold water first, then warm. Does it feel different to switch from cold to warm water versus warm to cold?

2. Pick up or touch items near you

Are the things you touch soft or hard? Heavy or light? Warm or cool? Focus on the texture and color of each item. Challenge yourself to think of specific colors, such as crimson, burgundy, indigo, or turquoise, instead of simply red or blue.

3. Breathe deeply

Slowly inhale, then exhale. If it helps, you can say or think "in" and "out" with each breath. Feel each breath filling your lungs and note how it feels to push it back out.

4. Savor a food or drink

Take small bites or sips of a food or beverage you enjoy, letting yourself fully taste each bite. Think about how it tastes and smells and the flavors that linger on your tongue.

5. Take a short walk

Concentrate on your steps - you can even count them. Notice the rhythm of your footsteps and how it feels to put your foot on the ground and then lift it again.

6. Hold a piece of ice

What does it feel like at first? How long does it take to start melting? How does the sensation change when the ice begins to melt?

7. Savor a scent

Is there a fragrance that appeals to you? This might be a cup of tea, an herb or spice, a favorite soap, or a scented candle. Inhale the fragrance slowly and deeply and try to note its qualities (sweet, spicy, citrusy, and so on).

8. Move your body

Do a few exercises or stretches. You could try:

jumping jacks

jumping up and down

jumping rope

jogging in place

stretching different muscle groups one by one

Pay attention to how your body feels with each movement and when your hands or feet touch the floor or move through the air.

How does the floor feel against your feet and hands? If you jump rope, listen to the sound of the rope in the air and when it hits the ground.

9. Listen to your surroundings

Take a few moments to listen to the noises around you. Do you hear birds? Dogs barking? Machinery or traffic? If you hear people talking, what are they saying? Do you recognize the language?

Let the sounds wash over you and remind you where you are.

10. Feel your body

You can do this sitting or standing. Focus on how your body feels from head to toe, noticing each part. Consider:

your hair on your shoulders or forehead

the weight of your shirt on your shoulders

whether your arms feel loose or stiff at your sides

your heartbeat, and whether it's rapid or steady

whether your stomach feels full or you feel hungry

whether your legs are crossed or your feet are resting on the floor

Curl your fingers and wiggle your toes. Are you barefoot or in shoes? How does the floor feel against your feet?

11. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method

Working backward from 5, use your senses to list things you notice around you. For example, you might start by listing:

5 things you hear

4 things you see

3 things you can touch from where you're sitting

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

Make an effort to notice the little things you might not always pay attention to, such as the color of the flecks in the carpet or the hum of your computer.

These grounding exercises use mental distractions to help redirect your thoughts away from distressing feelings and back to the present.

12. Play a memory game

Look at a detailed photograph or picture (like a cityscape or other "busy" scene) for 5-10 seconds. Then, turn the photograph face-down and recreate the photograph in your mind in as much detail as possible. Or, you can mentally list all the things you remember from the picture.

13. Think in categories

Choose one or two broad categories, such as "musical instruments," "ice cream flavors," or "baseball teams." Take a minute or so to mentally list as many things from each category as you can.

14. Use math and numbers

Even if you aren't a math person, numbers may help center you.

Try:

running through a times table in your head

counting backward from 100

choosing a number and thinking of five ways you could make the number (6 + 11 = 17, 20 - 3 = 17, 8 × 2 + 1 = 17, etc.)

15. Recite something

Think of a poem, song, or book passage you know by heart. Recite it quietly to yourself or in your head.

If you say the words aloud, focus on the shape of each word on your lips and in your mouth. If you say the words in your head, visualize each word as you'd see it on a page.

16. Make yourself laugh

Make up a silly joke - the kind you'd find on a candy wrapper or popsicle stick.

You might also watch your favorite funny animal video, a clip from a comedian or TV show you enjoy, or anything else you know will make you laugh.

17. Use an anchoring statement

This might be something like, "I'm Full Name. I'm X years old. I live in City, State. Today is Friday, June 3. It's 10:04 in the morning. I'm sitting at my desk at work. There's no one else in the room."

You can expand on the phrase by adding details until you feel calm, such as, "It's raining lightly, but I can still see the sun. It's my break time. I'm thirsty, so I'm going to make a cup of tea."

18. Visualize a daily task you enjoy or don't mind doing

If you like doing laundry, for example, think about how you'd put away a finished load.

"The clothes feel warm coming out of the dryer. They're soft and a little stiff at the same time. They feel light in the basket, even though they spill over the top. I'm spreading them out over the bed so they won't wrinkle. I'm folding the towels first, shaking them out before folding them into halves, then thirds," and so on.

19. Describe a common task

Think of an activity you do often or can do very well, such as making coffee, locking up your office, or tuning a guitar. Go through the process step-by-step, as if you're giving someone else instructions on how to do it.

20. Imagine yourself leaving the painful feelings behind

Visualize:

gathering the emotions, balling them up, and putting them into a box

walking, swimming, biking, or jogging away from painful feelings

your thoughts as a song or TV show you dislike, changing the channel or turning down the volume - they're still there, but you don't have to listen to them

21. Describe what's around you

Spend a few minutes taking in your surroundings and noting what you see. Use all five senses to provide as much detail as possible.

"This bench is red, but the bench over there is green. It's warm under my jeans since I'm in the sun. It feels rough, but there aren't any splinters. The air smells like smoke. I hear kids laughing and dogs barking."

You can use these techniques to comfort yourself in times of emotional distress. These exercises can help promote good feelings that may help the negative feelings fade or seem less overwhelming.

22. Picture the voice or face of someone you love

If you feel upset or distressed, visualize someone positive in your life. Imagine their face or think of what their voice sounds like. Imagine them telling you that the moment is tough but that you'll get through it.

23. Practice self-kindness

Repeat kind, compassionate phrases to yourself:

"You're having a rough time, but you'll make it through."

"You're strong, and you can move through this pain."

"You're trying hard, and you're doing your best."

Say it, either aloud or in your head, as many times as you need.

24. Sit with your pet

If you're at home and have a pet, spend a few moments just sitting with them. If they're of the furry variety, pet them, focusing on how their fur feels. Consider their markings or unique characteristics. If you have a smaller pet you can hold, concentrate on how they feel in your hand.

Not at home? Think of your favorite things about your pet or how they would comfort you if they were there.

25. List favorites

List three favorite things in several different categories, such as:

26. Visualize your favorite place

Think of your favorite place, whether it's the home of a loved one or a foreign country. Using each of your senses, imagine the noises you hear, the objects you see, and the scents you smell.

Try to recall the last time you went there. Think about what you did there and how it felt at the time.

27. Plan an activity

This might be something you do alone or with a friend or loved one. Think of what you'll do and when. Maybe you'll go to dinner, take a walk on the beach, see a movie you've been looking forward to, or visit a museum.

Focus on the details, such as what you'll wear, when you'll go, and how you'll get there.

28. Touch something comforting

This could be your favorite blanket, a much-loved T-shirt, a smooth stone, or anything that feels good to touch. Think about how it feels under your fingers or in your hand.

If you have a favorite sweater, scarf, or pair of socks, put them on and spend a moment thinking about the sensation of the fabric on your skin.

29. List positive things

Write or mentally list four or five things in your life that bring you joy, visualizing each briefly.

30. Listen to music

Put on your favorite song, but pretend you're listening to it for the first time. Focus on the melody and lyrics (if there are any).

Does the song give you chills or create any other physical sensations? Pay attention to the parts that stand out most.

While there's little research explaining how grounding techniques work, the techniques represent a common strategy for managing PTSD and anxiety.

Grounding techniques use tools such as visualization and senses including sight, hearing, and smell to help distract you from a variety of possible feelings and thoughts. Like mindfulness techniques, they help you return to the present moment.

During a panic attack or traumatic flashback, your emotions can take over your thoughts and physical responses. Focusing on the present through grounding techniques can help interrupt your body's response and return your brain and feelings to a place of safety.

Grounding yourself isn't always easy. It may take some time to find the techniques that work best for you in different situations.

Here are some additional tips to help you get the most out of these techniques:

Practice: It can help to practice grounding even when you aren't dissociating or experiencing distress. If you get used to an exercise before you need to use it, it may take less effort when you want to use it to cope in the moment.

Avoid assigning values: For example, if you're grounding yourself by describing your environment, concentrate on the basics of your surroundings rather than how you feel about them.

Check in with yourself: Before and after a grounding exercise, rate your distress as a number between 1 and 10. What level is your distress when you begin? How much did it decrease after the exercise? This can help you get a better idea of whether a particular technique is working for you.

Grounding techniques can be powerful tools to help you cope with distressing thoughts in the moment. If you're having trouble using grounding techniques, a therapist may be able to assist.

It's also important to get help from a therapist so you can address the root cause of your distress. If you don't have one yet, check out our guide to affordable therapy.
If you need help finding a mental health professional, then check out our FindCare tool here.
What is the 5 4 3 2 1 grounding method or the rule of 5 grounding technique?

This technique asks you to count backward from 5 by thinking of your senses. You begin by noting 5 sounds you can hear and then move through all of your senses until you get to 1.

What does grounding do to your body?

Using grounding techniques can help you manage feelings like:

distress

traumatic flashbacks

nightmares

painful emotions, like anger

anxiety

It's best to try doing a grounding exercise when you first start to feel bad. Don't wait for distress to reach a level that's harder to handle. If the technique doesn't work at first, try to stick with it for a bit before moving on to another.

What are some grounding techniques for PTSD?

Various grounding techniques can help support you if you're living with PTSD. This includes focusing on the five senses, doing breathing exercises, or using a grounding mat.

Learn more about grounding types.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Grounding Techniques: Exercises for Anxiety, PTSD, and More

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Grounding techniques can help you manage distressing thoughts and flashbacks in the moment. Learn 30 techniques to add to your emotional toolbox.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reflective Practice: Thinking About the Way You Do Things

# data[].attributes.subject
Reflective Practice: Thinking About the Way You Do Things

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reflective Practice Thinking About the Way You Do Things – Effectiviology

# data[].attributes.headline
Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Practicing

# data[].attributes.subject
Empathy: Definition, Types, and Tips for Practicing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their point of view, and imagine yourself in their place. Essentially, it is putting yourself in someone else's position and feeling what they are feeling.

Empathy means that when you see another person suffering, such as after they've lost a loved one, you are able to instantly envision yourself going through that same experience and feel what they are going through.

While people can be well-attuned to their own feelings and emotions, getting into someone else's head can be a bit more difficult. The ability to feel empathy allows people to "walk a mile in another's shoes," so to speak. It permits people to understand the emotions that others are feeling.

Press Play for Advice on Empathy

Follow Now : Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts

Signs of Empathy

For many, seeing another person in pain and responding with indifference or even outright hostility seems utterly incomprehensible. But the fact that some people do respond in such a way clearly demonstrates that empathy is not necessarily a universal response to the suffering of others.

If you are wondering whether you are an empathetic person, here are some signs that show that you have this tendency:

You are good at really listening to what others have to say.

People often tell you about their problems.

You are good at picking up on how other people are feeling.

You often think about how other people feel.

Other people come to you for advice.

You often feel overwhelmed by tragic events.

You try to help others who are suffering.

You are good at telling when people aren't being honest.

You sometimes feel drained or overwhelmed in social situations.

You care deeply about other people.

You find it difficult to set boundaries in your relationships.

Types of Empathy

There are several types of empathy that a person may experience. The three types of empathy are:

Affective empathy involves the ability to understand another person's emotions and respond appropriately. Such emotional understanding may lead to someone feeling concerned for another person's well-being, or it may lead to feelings of personal distress.

Somatic empathy involves having a physical reaction in response to what someone else is experiencing. People sometimes physically experience what another person is feeling. When you see someone else feeling embarrassed, for example, you might start to blush or have an upset stomach.

Cognitive empathy involves being able to understand another person's mental state and what they might be thinking in response to the situation. This is related to what psychologists refer to as the theory of mind or thinking about what other people are thinking.

Empathy vs. Sympathy vs. Compassion

Uses for Empathy

Being able to experience empathy has many beneficial uses.

Empathy allows you to build social connections with others. By understanding what people are thinking and feeling, you are able to respond appropriately in social situations. Research has shown that having social connections is important for both physical and psychological well-being.

Empathizing with others helps you learn to regulate your own emotions. Emotional regulation is important in that it allows you to manage what you are feeling, even in times of great stress, without becoming overwhelmed.

Empathy promotes helping behaviors. Not only are you more likely to engage in helpful behaviors when you feel empathy for other people, but other people are also more likely to help you when they experience empathy.

Potential Pitfalls of Empathy

Having a great deal of empathy makes you concerned for the well-being and happiness of others. It also means, however, that you can sometimes get overwhelmed, burned out, or even overstimulated from always thinking about other people's emotions. This can lead to empathy fatigue.

Empathy fatigue refers to the exhaustion you might feel both emotionally and physically after repeatedly being exposed to stressful or traumatic events. You might also feel numb or powerless, isolate yourself, and have a lack of energy.

Empathy fatigue is a concern in certain situations, such as when acting as a caregiver. Studies also show that if healthcare workers can't balance their feelings of empathy (affective empathy, in particular), it can result in compassion fatigue as well.

Other research has linked higher levels of empathy with a tendency toward emotional negativity, potentially increasing your risk of empathic distress. It can even affect your judgment, causing you to go against your morals based on the empathy you feel for someone else.

Impact of Empathy

Your ability to experience empathy can impact your relationships. Studies involving siblings have found that when empathy is high, siblings have less conflict and more warmth toward each other. In romantic relationships, having empathy increases your ability to extend forgiveness.

Not everyone experiences empathy in every situation. Some people may be more naturally empathetic in general, but people also tend to feel more empathetic toward some people and less so toward others. Some of the factors that play a role in this tendency include:

How you perceive the other person

How you attribute the other individual's behaviors

What you blame for the other person's predicament

Your past experiences and expectations

At the most basic level, there appear to be two main factors that contribute to the ability to experience empathy: genetics and socialization. Essentially, it boils down to the age-old relative contributions of nature and nurture.

Parents pass down genes that contribute to overall personality, including the propensity toward sympathy, empathy, and compassion. On the other hand, people are also socialized by their parents, peers, communities, and society. How people treat others, as well as how they feel about others, is often a reflection of the beliefs and values that were instilled at a very young age.

Barriers to Empathy

Some people lack empathy and, therefore, aren't able to understand what another person may be experiencing or feeling. This can result in behaviors that seem uncaring or sometimes even hurtful. For instance, people with low affective empathy have higher rates of cyberbullying.

A lack of empathy is also one of the defining characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder. Though, it is unclear whether this is due to a person with this disorder having no empathy at all or having more of a dysfunctional response to others.

A few reasons why people sometimes lack empathy include cognitive biases, dehumanization, and victim-blaming.

Cognitive Biases

Sometimes the way people perceive the world around them is influenced by cognitive biases. For example, people often attribute other people's failures to internal characteristics, while blaming their own shortcomings on external factors.

These biases can make it difficult to see all the factors that contribute to a situation. They also make it less likely that people will be able to see a situation from the perspective of another.

Dehumanization

Many also fall victim to the trap of thinking that people who are different from them don't feel and behave the same as they do. This is particularly common in cases when other people are physically distant.

For example, when they watch reports of a disaster or conflict in a foreign land, people might be less likely to feel empathy if they think that those who are suffering are fundamentally different from themselves.

Victim Blaming

Sometimes, when another person has suffered a terrible experience, people make the mistake of blaming the victim for their circumstances. This is the reason that victims of crimes are often asked what they might have done differently to prevent the crime.

This tendency stems from the need to believe that the world is a fair and just place. It is the desire to believe that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get-and it can fool you into thinking that such terrible things could never happen to you.

Causes of Empathy

Human beings are certainly capable of selfish, even cruel, behavior. A quick scan of the news quickly reveals numerous unkind, selfish, and heinous actions. The question, then, is why don't we all engage in such self-serving behavior all the time? What is it that causes us to feel another's pain and respond with kindness?

The term empathy was first introduced in 1909 by psychologist Edward B. Titchener as a translation of the German term einfühlung (meaning "feeling into"). Several different theories have been proposed to explain empathy.

Neuroscientific Explanations

Studies have shown that specific areas of the brain play a role in how empathy is experienced. More recent approaches focus on the cognitive and neurological processes that lie behind empathy. Researchers have found that different regions of the brain play an important role in empathy, including the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior insula.

Functional MRI research also indicates that an area of the brain known as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) plays a critical role in the experience of empathy. Studies have found that people who have damage to this area of the brain often have difficulty recognizing emotions conveyed through facial expressions.

Emotional Explanations

Some of the earliest explorations into the topic of empathy centered on how feeling what others feel allows people to have a variety of emotional experiences. The philosopher Adam Smith suggested that it allows us to experience things that we might never otherwise be able to fully feel.

This can involve feeling empathy for both real people and imaginary characters. Experiencing empathy for fictional characters, for example, allows people to have a range of emotional experiences that might otherwise be impossible.

Prosocial Explanations

Sociologist Herbert Spencer proposed that empathy served an adaptive function and aided in the survival of the species. Empathy leads to helping behavior, which benefits social relationships. Humans are naturally social creatures. Things that aid in our relationships with other people benefit us as well.

When people experience empathy, they are more likely to engage in prosocial behaviors that benefit other people. Things such as altruism and heroism are also connected to feeling empathy for others.

Tips for Practicing Empathy

Fortunately, empathy is a skill that you can learn and strengthen. If you would like to build your empathy skills, there are a few things that you can do:

Work on listening to people without interrupting

Pay attention to body language and other types of nonverbal communication

Try to understand people, even when you don't agree with them

Ask people questions to learn more about them and their lives

Imagine yourself in another person's shoes

Strengthen your connection with others to learn more about how they feel

Seek to identify biases you may have and how they affect your empathy for others

Look for ways in which you are similar to others versus focusing on differences

Be willing to be vulnerable, opening up about how you feel

Engage in new experiences, giving you better insight into how others in that situation may feel

Get involved in organizations that push for social change

A Word From Verywell

While empathy might be lacking in some, most people are able to empathize with others in a variety of situations. This ability to see things from another person's perspective and empathize with another's emotions plays an important role in our social lives. Empathy allows us to understand others and, quite often, compels us to take action to relieve another person's suffering.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Empathy allows us to understand and share the feelings of others. Learn why we feel empathy in some situations and not others, different types of empathy, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Critical Reflective Practice -Questions Sheet

# data[].attributes.headline
Standards of Practice for Trauma Informed Care 

# data[].attributes.subject
Standards of Practice for Trauma Informed Care 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Nisha Mody - Feminist Healing & Life Coach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nisha Mody - Feminist Healing & Life Coach