How can you train peer supporters to be more empathetic?

1 Why empathy matters

Empathy is not only beneficial for the people receiving peer support, but also for the peer supporters themselves. Empathy can help peer supporters to build rapport, trust, and mutual understanding with their peers. It can also help them to avoid burnout, stress, and compassion fatigue, by enabling them to cope with their own emotions and boundaries. Empathy can also increase the satisfaction and motivation of peer supporters, as they feel more connected and valued by their peers.

2 How to assess empathy

Before you can train peer supporters to be more empathetic, you need to assess their current level of empathy and identify their strengths and areas for improvement. There are various tools and methods you can use to measure empathy, such as self-report questionnaires, behavioral observations, feedback surveys, or role-playing exercises. You can also ask peer supporters to reflect on their own empathy skills and challenges, and to set goals for their development.

3 How to teach empathy skills

Peer supporters can learn and practice different types of empathy skills, such as cognitive, emotional, and compassionate empathy. Cognitive empathy involves the ability to understand the perspective and thoughts of another person. Emotional empathy requires feeling the emotions of another person. Compassionate empathy is acting on the empathy and providing support and care. To teach these skills, you can use various techniques, such as demonstrating examples of empathic and non-empathic responses in different scenarios, providing feedback and guidance on how to improve empathy skills, encouraging peer supporters to ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and paraphrase what they hear, helping them recognize and manage their own emotions and biases, and promoting a culture of empathy and respect among peer supporters and their peers.

4 How to practice empathy

Learning empathy skills is not enough; peer supporters must practice them regularly and apply them in real situations. To create opportunities for peer supporters to practice empathy, you can assign them to work with peers of various backgrounds, provide ongoing supervision and mentoring from experienced peer supporters or professionals, create a safe space for peer supporters to share their experiences, challenges, and successes with each other, encourage peer supporters to seek feedback from their peers and evaluate their own performance, and reward peer supporters for their empathic behaviors and achievements.

5 How to maintain empathy

Empathy is not a trait that one has or does not have, but rather a skill that can be honed or weakened over time. To help peer supporters maintain their empathy and prevent it from fading or becoming overwhelmed, you can remind them of the benefits and purpose of empathy for themselves and their peers. Additionally, providing regular training and refresher courses on empathy skills, supporting them to balance their workload, and offering access to resources and services that can help with stress, trauma, or burnout are all beneficial. Lastly, celebrate their achievements and recognize their contributions to further motivate them.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?