Gordon's rant on empathy - plus our upcoming course lineup!

GORDON'S RANT ON EMPATHY

BY GORDON NEUFELD

A very long time ago it seems, I gave a talk called Cultivating Caring Children. I loved that material. More recently I had the opportunity to keynote on empathy. Oh my goodness, I was taken by surprise by the rant that was in me. I decided at that time to create a course with empathy as the focus and the theme. A bit self-indulgent I suppose but I am also convinced it is needed. So here it is!

This Empathy course is my rant. It is a reminder to the developmentalists-at-heart of how Nature works and how to come alongside its work. The Empathy course confronts us with the futility of making empathy the focus, of pushing the river, of attempting to do the work of Nature instead of supporting Nature's work. The Empathy course puts us in our place and redirects our focus to what will actually deliver the fruit we desire.

READ THE REST OF GORDON'S RANT HERE >

"I don't care."

"It doesn't matter."

"Whatever."

Sound familiar? These are common refrains in many households and schools. What does this have to do with empathy?

In this 3 minute video, Gordon gives a glimpse into the two stories involved in the development of empathy, and why they are so important.

Editor's note: For the first time, we're offering The Natural Roots of Empathy in our scheduled online course format. You'll receive access to 5+ hours of Dr. Neufeld's lectures, as he traces empathy to its natural roots in attachment, feelings and development, then join Neufeld faculty Michele Maurer and Heather Ferguson in live online classes where you can ask your questions and dive more deeply into Dr. Neufeld's constructs around empathy. Register now to receive a 10% early bird discount off of our regular tuition of $150.

Are you interested in joining our upcoming online Intensive I course? In this short video, Gordon gives insight into what makes this signature course so foundational.

Find out more and register on our website.

Dr. Gordon Neufeld on

Intensive I:

making sense of kids

"The Intensive I is labeled 'making sense of kids' because it's an insight approach; you're looking to how nature works, and how we can serve as midwives to that process. It's completely different than other approaches because they're all outcome-based. You're always trying to shape behaviour. It's a hugely relieving course actually; to know what is our role, what is Nature's role, to have an understanding of what the developmental plan is. I find that when students realize this, there is huge relief as well as a sense of awe, a sense of celebration, and also very clear ideas of what our role is in becoming the answer our children need."

What's included with a Scheduled Online Class registration?

In addition to a weekly live class with a Neufeld faculty member, you receive a 4-month study pass (or 8 months for Intensive courses) to our Virtual Campus featuring Dr. Neufeld's video material, discussion forums, study guides, supplementary resources, and much more. Participants view Dr. Neufeld's recorded presentations prior to the scheduled support session with a faculty member. Visit More On Online Campus Courses for further details.

Class recordings

Not able to attend the live class due to a scheduling conflict? No problem! Classes are recorded so you can catch up later in the week when it works best for you.