Building Safe Spaces as a Key to Creating Post-Covid-Communities

The social problems caused by Covid-19 require us to devote more attention to building safe and inclusive communities, in which all members feel accepted and appreciated. We can do so by teaching graduates and community leaders quite simple but much-needed social and emotional skills, such as affect labelling and double listening. My presentation is informed by the experience of teaching professional and life skills in the literature classroom. My arguments draw on neuropsychological studies of emotion, and they are inspired by long years of offering hands-on advice to students struggling with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and other problems.