I believe in the healing qualities of being present to others, so much so that I teach a hands-on seminar on Compassionate Communication. Compassionate Communication provides a way to be present through listening empathically to others and to yourself. Originally created by Marshall Rosenberg and called Nonviolent Communication, Compassionate Communication creates an opportunity to form connections.
I was first introduced to Compassionate Communication in 2013, and I quickly discovered that it was not only a tool of healing through relationships with others, but it also assisted in ongoing healing in relationship to myself. I have since taught Compassionate Communication to undergraduate Bible college students as well as to religious and non-religious groups.
Depending on whether it is a religious or a non-religious setting and the time allotted, participants will learn:
- The difference between empathy and sympathy;
- What empathy is;
- What empathy is not;
- Three levels of empathic listening;
- The importance of self-empathy;
- Theological and scriptural support for empathy.
For those who are involved in higher education, I have also taught Compassionate Communication as part of the following courses: “Pastoral Care from a Pentecostal Perspective” and “Pastoral Counseling.”
What Others Have Said about the Compassionate Communication Seminar:
- Pam’s method of presentation is very easy to follow and understand. She includes her audience without being overly forceful in her request for participation. She made the audience feel part of the subject being addressed, and thus encouraging participation. I think the most enlightening part of her presentation was how “real life” her subject was.
—An Employee at Seasons Hospice, Rochester, MN
- Dr. Pam Engelbert does a superb job of clearly communicating the principles of compassionate communication in a way that is both easy to digest and apply to real life situations. Our group especially benefited from the open and interactive environment Dr. Engelbert created, which encouraged us to incorporate what we were learning, as we learned it. The material is theologically sound, personally engaging, and universally applicable. I can highly recommend having Dr. Engelbert present to your group without reservation.
—Rev. Marc Kelliher
- Pam gave our entire church leadership a powerful and timely seminar on Compassionate Communication during a time in which we were navigating a potentially divisive denominational separation. Her winsome presentation was well-received and has given us some solid guidelines for listening to one another and learning from one another. In our conversations and in our interactions, we’re now clear that we’re not letting the jackal win!
—Rev. Dr. Bob Kaylor
The blog Drowning in a Sea of Grief offers a sample of my approach to empathy, listening, and compassionate communication.
If you are interested in having me present to your group, please contact me by using the form below: