Is compassion in ABA a “soft skill”… or a missing piece of the science? 👀In this episode of The BC(BAes) Podcast, Melina and Jordan sit down with Dr. Nissa Intarachote Van Etten, BCBA and leader in training and development, to unpack one of the most important — and often overlooked — topics in behavior analysis:🧠 Compassionate careWith over 20 years in the field, Dr. Nissa shares why she dedicated her doctoral research to compassion, how soft skills impact real outcomes, and why being technically sound isn’t enough if you can’t connect with the families you serve.From navigating ethical gray areas, to supporting staff in real-life, vulnerable home settings, to using AI to be more present (not less) — this episode dives into the human side of ABA that doesn’t always show up in textbooks.If you're a BCBA, RBT, or ABA professional, this conversation will challenge how you think about care, connection, and what it really means to be effective in this field.Because at the end of the day…👉 We’re humans working with humans.⏱️ Episode Timestamps00:00 – Meet Melina, Jordan & Dr. Nissa00:40 – Why study compassionate care in ABA?01:20 – Early ABA: working directly with families (pre-insurance era)02:00 – Why parents had to trust you back then02:50 – What are “soft skills” in ABA?03:40 – Technical skills vs soft skills explained04:30 – Why soft skills are missing in ABA training05:00 – Should RBTs be trained in compassionate care?05:10 – Can empathy be taught?05:30 – Inside Dr. Nissa’s dissertation research06:20 – Measuring empathy (Jefferson Scale)07:00 – Can you teach compassion—or just “mask” it?07:40 – Gender, empathy & societal conditioning08:40 – “Fake it till you make it” in compassionate care09:20 – Self-reflection as a clinician10:20 – What families actually want from BCBAs11:00 – Can you use ABA principles and be compassionate?12:00 – Protocol vs clinical judgment13:00 – Where the field is missing compassion the most13:30 – Compassion between colleagues (not just clients)14:20 – Ego, gatekeeping & growth in ABA15:00 – Why collaboration matters in a growing field16:00 – Being in vulnerable spaces with families16:40 – Cultural responsiveness in the home17:20 – Real ethical dilemmas (hugging a parent?!)18:10 – Balancing ethics code vs being human19:00 – Navigating boundaries as a clinician20:00 – Learning from mistakes in the field20:50 – Rigid thinking vs true behavior analysis21:30 – Self-awareness and checking your biases22:20 – Coaching RBTs beyond “you’ll figure it out”23:00 – Practical ways to improve compassionate care TODAY23:40 – Balancing data collection vs human connection24:20 – Using AI to improve presence in sessions 🤖25:00 – Why automation can enhance (not replace) care25:40 – Final thoughts + Part 2 teaser🧠 Topics We Cover✔️ Compassionate care in ABA✔️ Soft skills vs technical skills✔️ Teaching empathy to clinicians✔️ Ethics vs real-world practice✔️ Cultural responsiveness✔️ Supporting families in vulnerable moments✔️ RBT & BCBA training gaps✔️ Using AI in ABA sessions✔️ Collaboration vs gatekeeping in the field📲 Follow The BC(BAes)Instagramhttps://instagram.com/thebcbaesTikTokhttps://tiktok.com/@thebcbaesYouTubehttps://youtube.com/@TheBCBAes🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.If you're in the ABA field, make sure to subscribe for real conversations about ethics, leadership, clinical work, and the human side of behavior analysis.