Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

New Dates!-Empathy Circles with Conversations that Matter: Gaining Clarity and Mutual Understanding
2026-10-25 18:00 - 19:30 (Europe/London) | Online
Empathy Circles with Conversations That Matter
Free online sessions led by FDCW facilitator Janna Weiss and Maria Trottman open to everybody!
A new series of 4 sessions based on the 16 Guidelines resource: Conversations That Matter
Conversations That Matter offers a new way of bringing inspiration for wise and compassionate action based on the 16 Guidelines for Life.
Sessions Schedule:
Sundays from September 2026 to January 2027 – You can join any session!
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm ET / 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm BST / 10:00 am – 11:30 am PT, please check
your time zone here. here.
The sessions will explore the Wisdom Theme: How We Act, How we Relate to Others and How we find Meaning .
Dates and Themes:
13-Sep-2026 How we Act

20-Sep-2026 Kindness
27-Sep-2026 Honesty
4-Oct-2026 Generosity
11-Oct-2026 Right Speech

18-Oct-2026 How we Relate to others

25-Oct-2026 Respect
1-Nov-2026 no circle
8-Nov-2026 Forgiveness
15-Nov-2026 Gratitude
2-Nov-2026 Loyalty

3-Jan-2027 How we find Meaning

10-Jan-2027 Aspiration
17-Jan-2027 Principles
24-Jan-2027 Service
31-Jan-2027 Courage

Please come on time and plan on staying for the full 90 minutes.
Sharing our experiences and practicing together can strengthen clarity, presence, and mutual understanding. Drop-ins welcome!
If you join, please come on time and plan on staying for the full 90 minutes.
Who are these sessions for?
These Online Empathy Circles are for people of all ages, backgrounds and ideas, who are looking for practical tools to create positive transformation in their homes, individual lives, relationships, community, or workplace
How to Join?
No need to register, simply join Zoom here
About the Empathy Circles
The Empathy Circle practice is the most effective gateway practice for learning, practicing and deepening listening and empathy skills, as well as, nurturing an empathic way of being.
The Empathy Circle provides a clearly structured dialogue process that supports respectful dialogue, and equal participation. Participants take turns listening without giving advice, interrupting, or debating, and each speaker feels fully heard and understood.
The practice is practical and applicable to everyday conversations, and when navigating difficult conversations. The Empathy Circle practice not only hones empathy but also fosters a range of valuable skills, such as communication and conflict management skills, making it a powerful tool for personal growth, conflict resolutions and meaningful dialogue.
The Empathy Circle was developed by Edwin Rutsch, founder and director of The Empathy Center, based on the work of psychologist Carl Rogers. The four core values of the Empathy Circle are empathy, mutuality, openness and caring
If you want to know more about the Empathy Circles, please make sure to check Maria and Janna’s presentation on the 2026 Empathy Summit . Posted here on Janna’s YouTube
Watch: How To Take Part in a Basic Empathy Circle ~ 9 minutes
About the facilitators:
Janna is an acupuncturist and herbalist, and teaches mind science in New York City. She holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in Biological Sciences—Botany (ethnobotany). Janna is also a human rights activist, for peace, for Tibet, for the rights of people with psychosocial disabilities, and for the real rights of children and families. Janna began studying Tibetan Buddhism in 2005. She is a trained 16 Guidelines Level 1 & 2 and Unlocking Your Potential Facilitator, and an Empathy Circle Facilitator and Trainer.
Maria is an Empathy Circle Facilitator and a student of the 16 Guidelines. She is passionate about Empathy Circles and the way this simple dialogue structure, grounded in active listening, can foster connection, clarity, and mutuality. Maria holds a PhD in Economics and works as a data analyst in the health sector.
Supporting Janna and the Empathy Circles: please, consider supporting Janna so that she can continue to offer these transformative sessions by making a donation scanning the QR code below or by making a donation on the dedicated page https://tinyurl.com/nhcxcrcw
