Compassionate Listening is...

• A personal practice – to cultivate inner strength, self awareness, self regulation and wisdom.
• A skill set – to enhance interpersonal relations and navigate challenging conversation.
• A process – to bring individuals or groups together to bridge their differences and transform conflict
• A healing gift – to offer a compassionate listening session to a person who feels marginalized or in pain.

These principles, adapted with permission from the Compassionate Listening Project,, guide the engagements of the New England MHTTC's Racial Equity and Advancing Cultural Humility (REACH) for Organizational Change Learning Collaborative. We encourage you to use these principles as you engage in frank and honest conversations in the workplace. The principles are designed to keep the dialogue grounded so that you can focus your energy on cultivating compassion and respect for others; serving as a witness to another's truth; and listening and speaking from the heart.