Practical Self-Empathy

This book by psychotherapist Gerlinde Ruth Fritsch centres on a question that is often overlooked in Non-Violent Communication (NVC): How do you actually treat yourself? It’s about finding out what you feel and need, and treating yourself with the same compassion that you show to others. This self-empathy gives rise to relationships that are truly sustainable: trusting and free from recriminations.

A central feature of the book is ‘emotional mapping’. Fritsch takes a closer look at twelve emotions, including interest, joy, love, serenity, fear, powerlessness, sadness, anger, disgust, guilt, shame and surprise. For each term, she lists associated emotions, typical triggering situations and the judgements or evaluations that underlie them. This provides you with a tool to help you better understand your own reactions.

In addition, there is a digression on pseudo-emotions, strategic ideas for selected needs and a separate chapter on emergency self-empathy, for those moments when you need to act quickly.

Published by Junfermann Verlag, 160 pages.