REVIEW: Dr. Judith Orloff, M.D. — The Genius of Empathy (BOOK)
Dr. Judith Orloff, M.D. is one of those people you instantly feel you’re in good hands with. She brings a distinctive bedside manner to her writing, putting the reader at ease both because of her ability to make things clear and concise, and because of her clearly credentialed, reasoned, logical perspective even when implementing decidedly right-brain, holistic, and homeopathic angles to a medically informed view on human conditional standards.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: https://drjudithorloff.com/
Her latest book is The Genius of Empathy, focusing on an altruist’s view on how understanding, compassion, and traits deemed vulnerable and sometimes dismissible by a cynical public can be paramount keys to achieving healing in both one’s self, and in those around them. Dr. Orloff herself describes the titular concept of Empathy as a critical, healing change agent she has observed help numerous patients. It’s something that she doesn’t swear by just as a practitioner in medicine, but from an unapologetically personally informed view to boot.
“I’ve devoted the past thirty years to integrating my conventional medical training — which includes a medical degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and a residency in psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) — with my sensitivities as an empath to help my patients heal,” Dr. Orloff writes. “In every setting I’ve worked in, including my private practice, hospitals, nursing homes, and substance abuse programs, I am humbled by the miracle of our bodies and spirits’ capacity to rise like a blazing phoenix above seemingly impossible challenges such as illness, trauma, and loss to begin to heal.
What moves me and fuels my passion is identifying techniques that are effective in actionable, real-life terms. If you’re ready for a change that will accelerate your healing process in all areas of your life, empathy is an everyday superpower that is within reach-at work, with family and friends, and in all situations. An empathic life is not about being “saintly” or losing your edge or common sense. Empathy is a practical daily skill that can be learned, not simply an idealistic goal that ‘sounds good.’ Its genius is attainable for everyone.”
Dr. Orloff provides reasoned, complex, and innovative arguments for what she swears by in bell-clear, articulate prose. There’s never the sense she’s soft-peddling anything in when it comes to logical, statistically backed observations. While what she’s talking about may seem unusual for a medicinally focused tome for some, but it actually makes a lot of sense and has been fully verified even if proving medically anomalous to some in the last couple of years.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Empathy-Practical-Sensitive-Relationships/dp/1683649710
“Time and again, I’ve witnessed empathy’s ability to help heal me and my patients. Showing empathy for yourself or receiving it from others can make going through a health or emotional challenge easier. It takes the bite off pain and any conflict as it soothes anxiety, brings mercy to depression, and lets you know you’re not alone. You can also get a contact high from other people’s joy since empathy helps you live a generous Buddhist sentiment: “My happiness is your happiness. There is no greater happiness in the world.” More and more you’ll be able to experience this generosity of spirit.”
Colin Jordan
