Compassionate Listening: Touching the Heart of Spoken and Unspoken Words
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Course Description
“Listening creates a holy silence. When you listen generously to people, they can hear truth in themselves, often for the first time. And in the silence of listening, you can know yourself in everyone. Eventually, you may be able to hear, in everyone and beyond everyone, the unseen singing softly to itself and to you.” (Rachel Naomi Remen)
No matter our profession or role in life, if we are engaged with people, the skill of Compassionate Listening is an essential one to develop and own. Compassionate Listening is the ability to sustain a sense of caring connection and belonging to others in their experiences of suffering or discomfort. It is a quality of therapeutic presence, in which one is able to provide-just through their intentional and caring listening-an authentic sense of value and validation to the ones they serve. In this class, adapted from the work of Kristen Neff’s and Chris Germer’s Mindful Self-Compassion Program, participants will discover how to listen from the neck down, or what is termed “embodied listening.” With Compassionate Listening, one is mindfully and compassionately present, not only to the client’s experience, but also to the thoughts, sensations, feelings etc. that arise within oneself as the recipient of the client’s story.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to list the six Components of Mindful Self-Compassion and Compassion for Others.
- Participants will be able to list five fundamental components of Compassionate Listening.
- Participants will be able to list six barriers that affect one’s ability to listen compassionately.
- Participants will be able to compare the similarities and differences between reflective, sympathetic, empathetic and compassionate listening.
Instructor Bio
Formerly an elementary school teacher, I have been involved in the field of addictions and mental health for approximately 34 years. I hold an LCADC, CPS and CCS in addition to a Masters in Special Education. I have worked in both inpatient- for 10 years as the Program Director for a residential treatment program for pregnant women in recovery- as well as outpatient treatment settings, with a special focus on the needs of families affected by alcohol and other substance use disorders.
Currently I work for the Perinatal Addictions Prevention Project at Central Jersey Family Health Consortium, offering training and education on a variety of addiction-related prevention and recovery topics. We offer ongoing trainings to schools, treatment providers, hospitals, social service agencies, drug courts, County Coalitions, Municipal Alliances, Conferences etc., serving both consumers and professional staff.
For the past five years I have been studying and teaching Mindful Self- Compassion concepts and practices to both educational and clinical groups, as well as offering these concepts for staff trainings. In 2020, I attended a 36 week intensive program and became certified in “Self-Compassion in Psychotherapy.” This work has become my passion, as I see how essential the practice of Mindful Self- Compassion and Compassion for Others is, especially in the challenging world we live in today. Neuroscience research confirms that Self-Compassion serves as a comforting and empowering antidote to the many diverse physical, emotional, mental, and traumatic wounds our human family suffers from.
Trauma Specialist Gabor Mate has said, “When we start the journey of being Compassionate with ourselves, not only does it change ourselves, it changes our communities and our society.” That is why we are here today, for I know we all seek to BE the change we seek to make in our world.
Ms.Cervelli does not have any commercial support and/or conflict of interest for this program.
Contact Us
For questions, please email ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu
Continuing Education Information
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0123.
LMFT/MFT and LPC/LAC Licensed in New Jersey: Programs approved by the American Psychological Association are acceptable sources of continuing education credits. Please see https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-34-Subchapters-10-31-Professional-Counselors.pdf, Section: 13:34-15.4 APPROVAL OF COURSES OR PROGRAMS on page 27. For all other professional licenses and certifications, please reference your issuing state board regulations regarding reciprocity of continuing education credits.
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.