Ladonna

2016-03-26 INTRO HCD

Interviewer: Christel Via Telephone

Interviewee 1: Ladonna, 33yrs PhD in Psychology, Mother of 2 (New Zealand)

Transcribers

Name 1: Christel

Text below:

1. What is your definition of empathy?

    • Having an emotional connection with others

    • Sense a vibe around you

    • Grappling with the way I feel and that influences others

    • Being able to differentiate my feelings to others

    • Being conscious of when I am in a bad mood and projecting that

    • Figuring out whose emotions are whose

    • How others mood affect me

2. How does self-empathy enrich your life?

    • Being conscious about how I feel and projecting good feelings to my children

    • When I am happy others are happy

    • Learning to understand and not mirror mine or others emotions

3. What might be the results if we do not have an empathetic approach?

    • Be disconnected to others without empathy

    • Can’t translate or bond with others

    • No understanding

    • Limit your growth

    • No patience, tolerance

    • Chaotic and feeling lost

    • Create barriers and not be secure

4. What has been your experience with empathy training?

    • No formal training, not even in her Psychology training as it is difficult to measure empathy

    • Only understanding of empathy is through what she has learned from myself

    • A new paper was done on emotions, but not empathy specifically

5. What tools or skills do you think are needed for someone to be empathetic?

    • Writing down how I feel then reflecting and figuring it out

    • Being persistent and seeing it through

    • Not ignoring how I feel, now sweeping under the mat

    • Not faking it to make it, i.e. putting a smile on my face when I don’t feel like doing so

6. How do you perceive empathy in your interactions

    • Not interested in getting caught up in workplace politics and drama

    • Focus is on bridging relationships through listening, being approachable, conscious of others

    • Hierarchy can be intimidating with high expectations

    • Sacrifice how I feel, or do things to make others feel comfortable yet feel that that gets taken advantage of, has negative outcomes

    • Take my role seriously and work hard but don’t feel validated, valued, acknowledged and appreciated

    • END (NZ & Australian time difference, didn’t get to complete all questions)