Karla McLaren is an award-winning author, and social science researcher.

Her lifelong work focuses on her grand unified theory of emotions, which revalues even the most “negative” emotions and opens startling new pathways into self-awareness, effective communication, and healthy empathy.

She is the founder and CEO of Emotion Dynamics, LLC. Karla is also the author of The Art of Empathy: A Complete Guide to Life’s Most Essential Skill (2013), The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings are Trying to Tell You (2010), and the multimedia online course Emotional Flow: Becoming Fluent in the Language of Emotions (2012).

Personally, I believe most surgeons would learn a great deal from the expertise of author Karla McLaren, a pioneer in the study, use, and meaning of empathy.

On today’s SurgeonMasters Podcast, she joins us to discuss:

• Understanding whatever emotions people are feeling, and responding appropriately.

• The meaning of reciprocal empathy and how to practice it.

• The difference between empathy and enmeshment.

• Regulating comfortable emotions versus problematic emotions.

• Maintaining your own emotional tone and intellectual reality, and not trying to control or manipulate another person.

• How practicing unhealthy empathy and lack of self-care can lead to burnout.

• The difference between empathy, compassion, and sympathy, and what is healthy empathy.

• ...And much more.