Referral Letter🧭 Empathy in Action
What aikido teaches us for challenging interactions
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| The Communication Doctor's Referral Letter |
In every work environment, moments of tension arise. A critical remark in a meeting. An unexpected objection. A conversation that keeps replaying in your mind afterwards. You know you could have handled it differently, with more calm, clarity, and strength.
We often already know the principles of good communication. But knowing is not the same as doing. Especially not in challenging situations, where body and mind seem to go their separate ways.
A training or workshop on empathy starts from a simple but powerful question:
How do you choose empathy with people for whom it does not come naturally?
To explore this, we draw on an Eastern perspective: aikido, a Japanese martial art that focuses on connection rather than conflict. Not by giving in, but by moving with. Not by convincing the other, but by making a different course of interaction possible together.
You will discover how aikido functions as a living metaphor for constructive communication, and what it teaches us about:
using tranquillity as an entry point to connection.
the role of the body in interaction (embodied empathy).
the difference between pushing back, avoiding, and moving with.
empathy as both a cognitive and an affective skill.
training softness as a form of strength.
The session is grounded in doctoral research and professional practice, and brings together insights from communication science, biobehavioural sciences, martial arts, and somatic, psychophysical pedagogy. You will experience key principles of aikido in communication live, and receive tools to apply them in your professional and daily context.
Expect more than a theoretical overview: this is an experiential approach that connects thinking and doing.
🔶 Outcome
A clearer mind, stronger motivation, and concrete tools to communicate with greater empathy.
🟠 For whom?
Leaders, team members, and professionals who want to strengthen their interaction skills, especially in moments that truly matter.
🎯 Themes
Empathy | Communication effectiveness | Emotion regulation | Openness | Noble outcomes
🟠 Facilitator
Communication Doctor Greet Angèle De Baets – researcher, trainer, and aikidoka
👉 A question? Training? Tailoring? Get in touch with Greet.
If you want to continue working on communication that is effective in practice, here are a few options:
- Schedule a free intake conversation with Communication Doctor Greet Angèle De Baets to clarify your question
- Book one or more training days within your organisation, tailored to your context and challenges
- Choose an individual consultation and work in a focused way on your own communication situations
- Join a residential calendar training at the Dojo-Haus in Sankt Vith and combine in-depth learning with distance from daily routines
- Take part in a webinar or a series of online lunchtime sessions and explore new perspectives in a compact format.
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