One circle at a time. Open-source. Free by donation. A gift to humanity from a community of practitioners who believe mutual listening can change the world.
The Empathy Circle Training exists to make mutual empathic listening a primary cultural value — in families, workplaces, schools, communities, and across political divides.
Our mission is ambitious: to train all 8 billion people to participate in and facilitate Empathy Circles. We begin with the people who feel called. They each ripple outward.
Everything here is open-source — free to use, adapt, and redistribute. This is a gift economy project. We ask for donations, not fees, because we believe the practice should reach everyone.
"The listening and reflecting in a shared Empathy Circle gives people a collective empathic experience."— Scientific American
The Empathy Center's global network includes over 20,000 people. Training has been running continuously since 2011, across 13+ cohorts, with participants from across the world.
The Empathy Summit brings together practitioners, researchers, and advocates from around the world to share what's happening in the global Empathy Movement. Free and open to all.
Hear from facilitators, community builders, educators, and researchers — all using Empathy Circles in different contexts to build a more empathic world.
Participants and presenters join from dozens of countries. Past summits have featured over 100 speakers.
All summit presentations are recorded and archived. A growing library of empathy practice and research.
Summits are free and open to the public. Donations support the Empathy Center's ongoing work.
The Empathy Circle Training is part of a wider constellation of empathy projects — all connected through Edwin Rutsch and the Empathy Center.
In a world where work environments are toxic, bullies seem to be around every corner, and the news assaults us with violence, hate, and injustice, the Empathy Circle Facilitator Training was a safe haven. It was a place of refuge where I felt cared for and accepted.
I've done a lot of personal development work over the years. This is one of the most practical and immediately applicable skills I've ever learned. I use it every week — in my work, my family, my community.
What surprised me most was how simple the structure is. And how profound the effect. People leave feeling genuinely heard — which is something we rarely experience. That's worth spreading everywhere.
I was gently challenged to explore my values and to have the courage to be vulnerable with strangers. It was also a place where I was expected to show up with curiosity and generosity for others.
The Empathy Circle is deceptively simple. You think, how can just listening and reflecting back change anything? And then you experience it — and you understand. The simplicity is the whole point.
I came in a skeptic. I left wanting to bring this to every organization I work with. The team dynamics alone — imagine a world where everyone knew how to genuinely listen to each other.
Everything here runs on generosity. Choose how you want to contribute.
Any amount. Every donation supports free circles, free training, and the global movement.
The Empathy Circle Facilitator Handbook — free for training applicants, available by donation for everyone else.
T-shirts and merch through our Printify store. A small profit supports the Empathy Center directly.
Restorative Empathy Circle Training with Lou Zweier — a paid deep-dive for organizations and practitioners.
There are many ways to be part of building a culture of empathy. Start wherever you are.
No registration. No cost. Just show up and experience what it feels like to be truly heard.
See ScheduleFour Saturdays online. Learn to facilitate the practice yourself. Become a ripple in the movement.
Apply NowThis is a gift economy project. If the training has value to you, consider supporting the Empathy Center's work.
Donate →Questions about training logistics? Email Bill Filler. Questions about the movement? Email Edwin Rutsch.