At the heart of so many relationship questions we've received—and relationships in general—is a common thread: EMPATHY. This "healing force", as our esteemed guest calls it, has the power to not only heal our relationships with others, but with ourselves. So why do so few of us understand its powers?

Today we're honored to be joined by THE foremost expert on empathy, Dr. Judith Orloff, dubbed “the godmother of the empath movement.” Dr. Orloff is a board-certified psychiatrist and the New York Times best-selling author of several books, including 2017's landmark "The Empath’s Survival Guide" and her latest, "The Genius of Empathy: Practical Skills to Heal Your Sensitive Self, Your Relationships, and the World". Today she helps dispel the misconceptions around empathy, demonstrates how to draw healthy boundaries, and explains the transformative, healing power of SELF-empathy. She explains why it's OK that your partner isn't the same empathy "type" as you, whether or not you can have too much empathy, and how to approach someone whose beliefs you fundamentally disagree with. Today's conversation is the warm hug you needed and will hopefully inspire healing in your more complicated relationships, especially the one you have with yourself.

Thank you to our sponsor!

- Go to https://www.rocketmoney.com/SHANDY to save money and cancel unwanted subscriptions with just a few taps!

More Dr. Judith Orloff:

- The book, "The Genius Of Empathy": https://bit.ly/3U6uCRk

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judith.orloff.md

- Website: https://drjudithorloff.com

Time Stamps:

0:00 - Welcome To The Legendary Dr. Judith Orloff!

3:41 - What Is Empathy & Empathy Vs Compassion

5:10 - What Are Her Thoughts On The Term “Empath” Becoming Mainstream?

6:52 - The Biggest Misconceptions About Empathy

10:32 - Drawing Boundaries

16:19 - Is Empathy Something We’re Born With? Nature Vs Nurture

17:31 - Can One Really Become *More* Empathic?

20:38 - The Empathy Types

23:13 - Mismatched Empathy In Relationships

29:19 - Tips For Self Empathy

31:24 - How Can I Make Empathy Work In A Way That Isn’t Ultimately To My Disadvantage?

34:04 - Is Self Awareness A Prerequisite to Self Empathy?

34:54 - Tips For Avoiding Empathy-Deficient Types

37:10 - When It Feels Like Someone Doesn’t Deserve Empathy

39:19 - Empathy Vs Enablement

43:29 - Is There Such A Thing As Too Much Empathy?

45:12 - Sharleen’s Takeaways

46:11 - Tips For Empathizing With Someone Whose Beliefs You Fundamentally Disagree With

49:06 - Shandy Debrief

If you have a relationship question, write us at: [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices