Attending
Ingrid
Vikki
Teri
Edwin
To Do
Find a regular meeting time.
create a doodle.
Each person create a prototype invitation
Meeting summary
The meeting focused on developing paid empathy circles as a pilot project, with participants discussing how to differentiate paid circles from free empathy circles while maintaining integrity and community values. Teri shared her experience with someone using her somatic-vagal toning integration without attribution, highlighting issues around derivative work and the need for proper recognition. The group explored key differences between paid and free circles, including longer sessions with consistent participants, specific topics, additional exercises, and potentially higher standards for facilitators. They discussed the importance of clearly distinguishing paid circles from therapy while acknowledging they are therapeutic interventions, with Vicky offering to provide guidance on the legal and practical differences between therapeutic and therapeutic practices. The team reviewed Ingrid's prototype website for guided listening circles and agreed that each member would develop their own prototype over the next three weeks using different platforms. They also discussed the importance of defending the word "empathy" in their work and considered creating a podcast to raise awareness about empathy circles. The conversation ended with plans to schedule regular team meetings, with potential times including Tuesdays 9am-2pm Pacific, Thursdays 9am-2pm Pacific, Fridays 12-2pm Pacific, and Saturdays 11am-2pm Pacific.
Edwin discussed attacks on naval vessels, including the destruction of the Valerie Bycar and damage to other ships. He described various types of damage to different vessels, including broken braces, a damaged helicopter landing pad, and a leaking oil situation. The discussion also covered the status of Black Sea Fleet submarines and missile frigates, with specific details about damage sustained by certain ships.
The team held a check-in meeting where Edwin shared that Joan's brother has a serious health issue, though Joan's knee condition has improved after receiving injections. Teri discussed experiencing hurt and frustration after someone created their own version of her work without attribution or proper training, leading her to recognize the need to establish clearer boundaries and communication around her innovative practices. Teri is currently taking a pause to reflect on how to move forward while honoring both her needs and the needs of others in the community.
The group discussed concerns about offering paid empathy circles, with Teri highlighting legal and qualification issues around somatic practices. Teri shared her experience with someone announcing an empathy circle using her methods without attribution or consultation, expressing concerns about trust and proper recognition. The discussion shifted toward addressing these issues on a general level rather than focusing on the personal relationship between Teri and the other person involved.
The group discussed plans for an upcoming empathy circle pilot program, with Edwin and Ingrid planning to conduct a trial run in October involving 6 participants. They reviewed a previous successful circle led by Beata that included centering exercises after each round, which contributed to deeper connections. Vikki shared her recent experiences with laryngitis and ear infections, and expressed interest in incorporating somatic practices into their existing work with children in care, including topic-based empathy circles for menopause and neurodiverse parents.
Vikki discussed using Empathy Circles with counselling students and proposed recognizing the Empathy Center on their website. Edwin clarified that the Empathy Circle practice is free to use and encouraged innovation, while Ingrid raised concerns about potential legal responsibilities. Teri shared her experience incorporating somatic practices like vagal toning into empathy circles and emphasized the importance of proper training and attribution. Vikki explained their efforts to develop a tabletop role-play system incorporating empathy and discussed concerns about maintaining credibility and preventing misuse of their intellectual property.
The group discussed the development and monetization of paid empathy circles, with Teri expressing a desire to be properly credited for her contributions while acknowledging the importance of intellectual property considerations. Edwin positioned the empathy circle as part of a broader empathy movement building on Rogers' work, while Ingrid suggested analyzing the specific differences between paid and free circles to ensure alignment with community values. The discussion identified key elements that would distinguish paid circles from free ones, including structured topics, consistent attendance expectations, longer duration, additional exercises, and clearer facilitator expertise, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining transparency about the non-therapeutic nature of the sessions.
The group discussed the distinction between therapeutic activities and formal therapy, with Vikki explaining that therapeutic interventions don't require the same level of training or structure as therapy. Ingrid highlighted different applications of paid empathy circles, including community building and mental health support in institutions, while Teri shared her inspiration for integrating social engagement nervous system somatics with empathy practice to provide safety and resource connection. Vikki offered to write a detailed explanation distinguishing between therapy and therapeutic activities, and the group noted that paid circles might include confidentiality agreements, though complete guarantees cannot be made.
The group discussed the challenges of defining boundaries around paid empathy circles and maintaining integrity while expanding the Empathy Center's reach. They agreed to avoid using the word "therapy" and instead focus on creating clear guidelines through an expanded confidentiality agreement and best practices documentation. The team recognized that while they cannot control all external activities, having a community-driven approach with clear standards would help support the broader goal of building a culture of empathy, including providing sustainable income opportunities for practitioners.
Ingrid presented a prototype landing page for guided listening circles, which she created as a starting point for marketing the project planned for October. She emphasized the importance of carefully choosing wording to guide the circles in the right direction without making premature judgments about content. The team discussed formatting improvements, with Edwin suggesting using 14-point text instead of 11-point text for better readability. Vikki expressed interest in creating her own version of the marketing material, particularly focusing on compassionate communication and empathy circles in the UK context.
The team discussed naming conventions for empathy circles and agreed on the importance of maintaining "empathy" in the name to establish a clear brand identity and defend the term against critics. Vikki and Edwin shared experiences of successfully engaging with conservative critics through dialogue and empathy circles, with Edwin noting that when people understand the concept, they often become supportive. The group explored the idea of creating a podcast to discuss empathy across different cultures and frameworks, with Teri emphasizing the importance of empathy as an umbrella term for complex human experiences.
The group discussed the importance of genuine empathy versus performative empathy, with Vikki highlighting how performative empathy can be insincere and noting the need to define and promote real empathy through education and statements within empathy circles. Edwin shared insights from Kevin Waldman's talk about restoring genuine connection and mentioned a curriculum project aimed at bringing empathy into K-12 education through experiential learning. Ingrid emphasized the mutual nature of empathy in circles, where both listening and speaking are balanced, creating trusted connections that address concerns about empathy being one-sided.
The team discussed developing prototypes for paid empathy circles over the next three weeks, with plans to share progress via email and find a regular meeting time for September. They explored different website platforms for building prototypes, with Teri offering to create a collaborative site and Vikki suggesting using her existing Fast Hosts account. The group identified potential meeting times across different days of the week, ultimately settling on Tuesday 9am-2pm Pacific, Thursday 9am-2pm Pacific, Friday 12-2pm Pacific, and Saturday 11am-2pm Pacific as options to be confirmed via Doodle poll.