Let's talk about deep empathy!
Here are some things that I believe to be basic facts of life as a human: We all have the capacity to meet our experience with deep empathy. Which will then lead to deeper clarity, creativity, joy, and a sense of tapping into new, powerful resources. But we all put limits on our empathy. At times, we may feel fear, frustration, anger, shame… Then we contract inside, and we say: “Oh, empathy doesn’t work in this situation, with this person.” When we look closely, we may discover that we’re also saying: “Empathy doesn’t work with this part of myself, with these unacceptable thoughts and feelings I’m having, with how I’m so flawed and insufficient.” I consider this to be the first act in the tragic drama of being human. This is how we block the flow of life, how we create so many problems!
The good news: Things that have been blocked can be unblocked again, and a deep flow of acceptance can be cultivated anytime, in this present moment. And in the next one. So how would it feel if all of you was actually received with complete, expansive empathy? If everything you experienced, including deep pain and shame, severe doubt, confusion, anger, and depression, could be held by a vast field of empathy? What if empathy could even hold all those thoughts that you’d really rather keep to yourself? What if empathy was available to meet all your judgements, both about other people and yourself?
In other words: How would it be to feel that all these things are fundamentally okay, because they’re an expression of something incredibly beautiful, valuable? Some people find this hard to imagine. But I firmly believe that the feeling of such a fundamental okay-ness is actually available to all of us, and that it invites true healing, true transformation to unfold, and the most powerful new solutions to emerge.
So this is what I'm offering
This is what I’m offering, in individual sessions and mediation: An expanded field of radical empathy, a space where empathic acceptance and appreciation is available for absolutely everything that you’re bringing in. The more you experience empathic expansion in sessions with me, the more you might be able to offer it to yourself outside of sessions, too. Some common wishes that might motivate you to work with me are:
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the deep wish to bring true peace to conflicts, either within yourself or with other people, such as romantic partners, business partners, or family members
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the deep wish to mature as a true leader, thus contributing to a sense of change and guidance in a troubled world
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the deep wish to create more clarity for choices and decisions you are faced with
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the deep wish to reconnect with your own inner truth and creativity, and cultivate both as an inner compass
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the deep wish to meet transitions, such as into a new relationship, a new job, or moving to a new place, with more clarity, courage, and compassion
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the deep wish to grow and stay true to what matters most when faced with a loss, for example of a loved one or a job, or a health issue
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the deep wish to transform old, limiting beliefs and patterns that don’t serve your life anymore, and replacing them with new ones that bring out a sense of vibrancy instead
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and many other deep wishes that are individual and arise from your own uniqueness
And this is me
My name is Sascha Borrée, I’m a trainer for Nonviolent Communication, NVC, who’s certified with CNVC, the Center for Nonviolent Communication. A limitless, radical approach to empathy is what I perceive to be at the heart of NVC, and it’s what I’m offering here—based on my many years of NVC training, and based on the transformation I’ve experienced myself.
To me, this kind of work is most powerful when we do it with playful creativity, when we're accessing the deeper wisdom of our imagination and our bodies. This is why I bring in a variety of other approaches that I'm trained in. I hold certifications as a Focusing counsellor and coach, an Embodiment coach, a Yoga teacher, and a Mindfulness and Compassion teacher and mentor. Further approaches I'm trained in and love to use include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and The Work by Byron Katie.
One significant part of my work focuses on the liberation from unhelpful stories that we keep telling ourselves in inner monologues, often unconsciously: Stories about who we are, what we do or don't deserve, what we are or aren't capable of doing, or how we can or can't experience belonging and efficacy. Other than on the above methods, this kind of work relies heavily on my Buddhist practice, my trainings as a journalist and a scriptwriter, and my studies in American, English, and German literature.
For more information about me, please check out my trainer profile page at CNVC.
How our work together could look like
You can meet me for individual sessions or for mediation sessions, meaning with another person you're in conflict with.
Individual sessions usually last 60 minutes, and I ask for a fee between 60 and 150 euros. Mediation sessions usually last 100 minutes, and I ask for a fee between 100 and 250 euros. Sessions can be scheduled weekly, biweekly, or at another interval that works for you. Most clients feel a sense of resolve or completion after 3-5 sessions. With some concerns, a longer sequence of sessions might be beneficial. We can talk about this in our first session.
I'd like to make my work accessible to as many people as possible, and I'd like to offer it in a sustainable way, too. That's why I decided to base my fee structure on a sliding scale model. You can choose the fee that you would like to pay within the above stated ranges. My request is that you pay what you can—without overextending yourself financially, and also without underpaying if you're in a position to give more.
If you won't be able to pay a fee within the above stated ranges, please reach out to me. Together, we'll try to find a solution that meets both your and my needs.
The above ranges apply to individual private clients. I'll gladly send you information on the applicable rates for corporate clients, if you'd like to work with me that way.
More things I'm offering:
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Empathy Workshops
I offer several workshops aimed at cultivating the practice of radical empathy with regard to specific topics such as empathy and the body, empathy, pain, and healing, or empathy in mediation. These workshops offer a safe and brave space for shared exploration with other like-minded and -hearted people.
