In these transformative Summits, seasoned practitioners and thought leaders converge to explore the profound impact and potential of the Empathy Circle practice. These gatherings serve as a crucible for understanding and advancing the Empathy Movement, with the Empathy Circle at its core.

Key Summit Highlights:

1. Personal Narratives: Participants share compelling stories of how the Empathy Circle practice has influenced their lives and work, offering real-world examples of its transformative power.

2. Mechanics and Efficacy: Experts dissect the inner workings of the practice, explaining why and how it fosters genuine connection and understanding among participants.

3. Benefits and Challenges: A balanced exploration of the positive outcomes and potential hurdles encountered in implementing Empathy Circles, providing a comprehensive view of the practice.

4. Empathic Consciousness: Delve into the profound shift in perspective and being that emerges through regular engagement with Empathy Circles.

5. Innovation and Evolution: Discover how the core Empathy Circle practice has inspired new methodologies and applications across various fields.

6. Future Horizons: Engage in stimulating discussions about the future potential of Empathy Circles and their role in shaping a more compassionate society.

7. Community Connection: The Summit serves as a reunion for facilitators, practitioners, trainees, and supporters, fostering a vibrant community of practice.

Join Our Thriving Community

Immerse yourself in this unique gathering of empathy enthusiasts and professionals. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to the concept, the Empathy Circle Summit offers unparalleled opportunities for learning, growth, and connection.

Be part of the movement that's reshaping human interaction and understanding. Together, we'll explore the boundless potential of empathy in creating a more harmonious world. 

Register Now
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026
Time: 9 am PT to 12:30 pm PT  -  World Times

Location: Zoom https://zoom.us/j/9896109339  
RECORDING:   Part of the event will be recorded and posted to social media for educational and promotional purposes. You have an option of being in a non recorded breakout group. 

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Speakers and Hosting Team

Program: 

All times are Pacific Time

Speakers Schedule

9:00am - Introduction
9:05 am - Selene Aitken - How to Integrate the Skills of the Empathy Circle in Business and Government Meetings

-9:15 am - Samantha Wittenberg - The Empathy Circle: A Lifeline for Caregivers Who Are Holding So Much  

-9:30 am - Dean Bowles - The Use of Empathy Circles in Family Dynamics

-9:45 am - Daniel Hirtz - The Living Energy of Empathy Circles — Naming What's Already Happening 

-10:00 am - Kevin Waldman - Empathy Circles Restore Genuine Connection in an Age of Performative Empathy 

-10:15 am - Mahip Rathore - Empathy Circles as a Core Intervention in Couples Therapy   
-10:30 am -  Janna Weiss - Embodying Virtue: The Classic Empathy Circle with Universal Human Values

-10:45 am -Teri McGovern-Nintzel - The Synergy of Empathy Circles and Vagal Toning  

11:00 Empathy Circle

12:10 Debrief
12:28 Closing

Backup Speaker:   

• Mahip Rathore, Edwin Rutsch, Ingrid Hirtz

• Lou Zweier

9:00 am PT 
Host:  Cara Jean Wilson

Introduction (5 min)
Host:  Cara Jean Wilson

Topic: How to Integrate the Skills of the Empathy Circle in Business and Government Meetings
9:05 am - Speaker: Selene Aitken  (10 min)

• Bio: Selene’s goal in life has been to bring a little peace to the world through mediation and the practice of fostering collaborative, empathic communication. Selene is an Empathy Circle Facilitation Trainer.  (LinkedIn) 

• Topic: How to Integrate the Skills of the Empathy Circle in Business and Government Meetings

• Abstract: Empathy Circle Skills can help even in formal meetings. When participants experience being heard, they relax and more easily collaborate.   

Topic: The Empathy Circle: A Lifeline for Carergivers Who Are Holding So Much  
9:15 am - Speaker: Samantha Wittenberg  (15 min)

• Bio: Grounded in lived experience and a background in law, mediation, and compassionate communication, Samantha Wittenberg support parents, caregivers, and educators to bridge neurotypical–neurodivergent communication and create more empathetic, inclusive relationships where everyone can thrive.  (Website) (LinkedIn) (Facebook)

• Topic: The Empathy Circle: A Lifeline for Caregivers Who Are Holding So Much 

• Abstract: In this talk, I introduce the Empathy Circle as a simple yet powerful practice that helps caregivers feel heard, regulated, and less alone. Drawing on real experiences with caregivers , I share how Empathy Circles create emotional safety, reduce overwhelm, and offer a rare space where caregivers can speak without being fixed, judged, or rushed.   

Topic: The Use of Empathy Circles in Family Dynamics
9:30 am - Speaker: Dean Bowles  (15 min)

• Bio: I’m a Director of a local Community Charity and I work part time as a volunteer in a local community kitchen for the homeless and disadvantaged  (Website) (LinkedIn) (Facebook)

• Topic: The Use of Empathy Circles in Family Dynamics.

• Abstract: How the use of this process enabled me to reach out to my self harming daughter and establish a line of communications that was safe for all of us. The power of my daughter being given full attention from both of her parents at once ensured she was fully understood and felt she had a safe vessel to open up into. I do a 15min talk about how it was established and the power that I gave her to feel fully heard. 

Topic: The Living Energy of Empathy Circles — Naming What's Already Happening
9:45 am - Speaker: Daniel Hirtz  (15 min)

• Bio: Daniel Hirtz is a breathwork educator, drum circle facilitator, and empathy circle co-host whose 40 years of group practice have taught him to recognize the living energy that moves through people when they truly listen to each other.  (LinkedIn)  (Facebook) (Website)

• Topic: The Living Energy of Empathy Circles — Naming What's Already Happening

• Abstract: Something powerful moves through an empathy circle when it's working — a tangible, living energy that most participants feel but few have language for. After 40 years of facilitating breathwork and drum circles, I've come to recognize this as the same energy: the field that emerges whenever human beings enter genuine mutual contact. Naming this energy — making it visible — is how we build a movement that people don't just understand intellectually but feel in their bodies and carry with them. 

10:00 am PT 
Host:  Cara Jean Wilson

Topic: Empathy Circles Restore Genuine Connection in an Age of Performative Empathy  
10:00 am - Speaker: Kevin Waldman (15 min)

• Bio: Kevin Waldman is a clinical researcher, mental health professional, and founder of psychFORM Research Lab, focusing on developmental psychology, identity formation, and the psychological effects of performative behavior. (Website) (LinkedIn) 

• Topic: Empathy Circles Restore Genuine Connection in an Age of Performative Empathy 

• Abstract:  This presentation explores how performative empathy - shaped by social signaling and external validation - can distance young people from genuine emotional connection. It introduces the empathy circle as a practice that centers active listening, emotional attunement, and mutual understanding. By contrasting performative empathy with the lived experience of an empathy circle, this work argues that empathy circles offer a direct way to reconnect individuals with authentic human understanding and presence.

Topic: Empathy Circles as a Core Intervention in Couples Therapy     
10:15 am - Speaker: Mahip Rathore   (15 min)

• Bio: I’m a psychologist, meditation teacher, and former lawyer dedicated to helping people feel more connected — to themselves, to their partners, and to something deeper.   (Website) (LinkedIn) 

• Topic:  Empathy Circles as a Core Intervention in Couples Therapy    

• Abstract: Empathy circles in couples therapy teach partners to listen deeply, reflect accurately, and understand the underlying emotions and intentions behind each other’s experiences. This structured practice fosters emotional safety, clearer communication, and stronger connection, helping couples move beyond reactive patterns toward more conscious and compassionate relating. When integrated into daily life, it not only improves relationship stability and satisfaction but also creates a healthier emotional environment that positively shapes children’s development.  

Topic: Embodying Virtue: Combining the Classic Empathy Circle with Universal Human Values
10:30 am - Speaker:  Janna Weiss (15 min)

• Bio:  Janna Weiss, PhD, is an Empathy Circle Facilitator and Trainer, accredited facilitator for the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom's 16 Guidelines international flagship program, acupuncturist, herbalist, ethnobotanist, and advocate for the human rights of the Tibetan people, people with psychosocial disabilities or those perceived to be so, and the real rights of children and families.  (Website) (LinkedIn) (Facebook)

• Topic: Embodying Virtue: Combining the Classic Empathy Circle with Universal Human Values

• Abstract:  The classic Empathy Circle always includes the option to speak about whatever is in your heart and mind, and will usually also include a suggested topic. Along with the "free speech" option, a community of Empathy Circle practitioners combines the Empathy Circle practice with the 16 Guidelines. The 16 Guidelines are a set of universal human values based on a short 7th century classic Tibetan text that helped transform Tibet from a violent society to a compassionate society. Values or virtues such as humility, gratitude, forgiveness, and courage have known benefits for human flourishing and wellbeing. 

Topic: The Synergy of Empathy Circles and Vagal Toning  
10:45 am - Speaker: Teri McGovern-Nintzel   (15 min)

• Bio: Teri McGovern-Nintzel is a vagal toning and empathy circle facilitator, writer, poet, and intuitive composer who creates spaces that support connection, resilience, and embodied presence.   (Website) (Facebook)

• Topic: The Synergy of Empathy Circles and Vagal Toning  

• Abstract: Empathy circles offer a predictable, supportive structure that helps our nervous systems relax into a shared intention for connection. This strengthens the social engagement system and builds resilience in returning to collaboration after stress. Vagal toning practices further support this capacity, helping participants shift into presence and out of defensive states. 

Pending - Backups

Topic:
10:45 am - Speaker:  15 min)

• Bio:   

• Topic: 

• Abstract: 

11:00 am PT  EMPATHY CIRCLE
Host:  

• How To

• Empathy Circle 

• Debrief

• Closing

Empathy Summit: November 8: Links

Website:   http://EmpathySummit.com
Event Page: https://EmpathySummit.com/dates/june-6-2026-empathy-circles
Short URL:               https://tinyurl.com/ESJun6-2026
World Times: https://tinyurl.com/EECSummitJun6
Registration:  https://forms.gle/gLJi4uJKoM2n4cpV7
Partners: http://EmpathySummit.com/sponsors 
Volunteers: http://EmpathySummit.com/volunteers
LinkedIn Event: https://linkedin.com/events/7423246462848974849/
Facebook Event: https://facebook.com/events/1561291621751866/
Feedback:   
Final Report Location: https://EmpathySummit.com/dates/nov-8-2025-empathy-circles 

Run of Show: 

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