Ladonna
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)