Empathy Languages

Discover 12 different ways to help people feel seen, heard, and understood.

Like love languages, some empathy languages resonate more deeply than others. Learn your unique empathy styles and develop some new ones too! They can empower all your interactions.

Our Vision: A world where empathy is the norm — transforming how we relate to ourselves and others, how we parent, teach, and lead, how we navigate conflict and how we create systems that work for all.

Two people engaged in meaningful conversation on a park bench

The 12 Empathy Languages

Ways to Help People Feel Seen, Heard, and Gotten Why 12?

Receiving

Creating space through attentive listening, curiosity, and reflection.

1

Spacious Listening

"I'm listening, take your time..."

Giving full attention without interruption, allowing complete expression.

2

Empathic Curiosity

"What's that like for you?"

Asking genuine questions to help others explore feelings deeper.

Recognizing

Acknowledging feelings, perspectives, and what matters to them.

3

Reflecting Back

"So what I'm hearing is..."

Paraphrasing to check understanding, especially useful in conflict.

4

Empathy Guesses

"Sounds like you're..."

Making specific guesses about feelings, giving space to correct.

5

Validation

"That makes sense"

Acknowledging their perspective makes sense given their context.

6

Giving Importance

"I see you, and you matter"

Expressing that their experience and values truly matter.

Resonating

Connecting emotionally through feeling with them and relating.

7

Emotional Empathy

"I feel that with you"

Feeling moved by their experience through words and body language.

8

Relating

"Me too..."

Finding common ground to help them feel less alone.

9

Common Ground

"I agree with you on..."

Finding areas where you do agree, even when you disagree in other places.

Responding

Taking action through encouragement, help, and solidarity.

10

Affirmations

"You got this!"

Offering encouragement that resonates with what they need to hear.

11

Empathic Support

"How can I be of support?"

Offering suggestions that center their needs and autonomy.

12

Follow-Through

"I'm remembering you"

The ongoing empathy of keeping the other in mind in our decisions and actions.

Download the Empathy Languages Packet

Learn about the 12 Empathy Languages in more detail!

Preview of the Empathy Languages Packet download

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Upcoming Workshops

Empathy Practice for the Holidays

Date

December 18th, 2025

Time

7-8:30pm CST

Location

Online via Zoom

Learn some skills, be challenged and have some fun in this engaging 90-minute intro to Empathy Languages

More Details
About Us

Our Story

Empathy Languages is one tool from the Conscious Communication Toolkit. Conscious Communication is a body of work that expands on Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and empowers people to speak (and listen!) with more authenticity as well as care, more feeling as well as better thinking, and more power as well as love.

Online Learning Options

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