Allyship and Ring Theory

Have you ever taken a problem to a friend or colleague and they have made it all about themselves; either because of their own experience (relevant or not) or their reaction to your experience? Based on concentric circles, Ring Theory (developed by Susan Silk) is a simple model for helping people to become better allies.Continue reading “Allyship and Ring Theory”

Sympathy, empathy, compassion (oh my!)

Sympathy. Empathy. Compassion. While difficult to untangle at first, these concepts are actually quite different to each other, if one is willing to examine them a little more closely. Shame and connection researcher Brené Brown  discusses the difference between sympathy and empathy in this short animated video. In short, sympathy is acknowledging and/or feeling sorry about another’s difficult experience, but with someContinue reading “Sympathy, empathy, compassion (oh my!)”

Book review: I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) – Brené Brown

I first came across Brené Brown’s research into shame resilience and living wholeheartedly while reading this interview. At the time, I felt the enormous weight of my own shame and, because I didn’t understand it, the more I tried to move away from it the more pronounced it became. Reading the interview was like aContinue reading “Book review: I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) – Brené Brown”