Dealing with Insensitivity and Inconsideration: Cultivating Understanding with Empathy

Learn simple, research-backed practices to build empathy–the ability to sense other people’s emotions and imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.

Zoom 

May 12th, 2026

10am PT to 11:30am PT

Why Join?

• Learn about the latest science behind the development and potential benefits of empathy in adults (yourself and the parents you support) and children;

• Try actionable practices to nurture empathy within yourself as a practitioner, as well as learn about empathy for parents and children that you can incorporate into your programs.

What’s Included:

• 90-minute facilitated session with the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley 

• A deep dive into the science of empathy with a group of like-minded parenting professionals 

• Resources and takeaways that you can use to support your well-being and the well-being of the families you support. 

Who Should Attend:

Parenting practitioners– this broad community of people supporting parents includes parent educators, social workers, faith leaders, nurse practitioners, physicians, psychologists, school-based parent and family engagement specialists, counselors, or other community workers or professionals serving families. 

Meet the Facilitators

Maryam Abdullah, Ph.D., is the Parenting Program Director of the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a developmental psychologist with expertise in parent-child relationships and children’s social and emotional development. At GGSC, Maryam’s role is to develop resources for professionals and organizations providing parenting education to foster parents' well-being and to help parents nurture compassion and resilience in their children. She also shares the latest developmental science findings on Greater Good, the GGSC's online magazine, which offers science-based insights for a meaningful life. Maryam has been invited to share research findings on parenting and children's social and emotional development with The Washington Post, BBC, CNN, NPR, and more. Prior to joining GGSC, she was an Assistant Project Scientist at the University of California, Irvine Child Development School in the Department of Pediatrics, a school-based behavioral health program where she supported parents and children, and conducted intervention and evaluation research. Maryam has been a lifelong student of California public schools.

Laura Guzman, Ph.D., is a social and personality psychologist who has worked with the Greater Good Science Center since 2019. Her work explores pathways to well-being by identifying and addressing barriers to opportunity for individuals from marginalized backgrounds and by studying how self-transcendent emotions—such as compassion, awe, and moral beauty—can support moral growth and more collaborative communities. At the GGSC, Laura develops research-informed resources for parents, educators, and practitioners that translate psychological science into everyday practice. She has taught courses at UC Berkeley on the science of happiness, emotion, and social psychology, and her research has been published in journals including Journal of Moral Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, and Basic and Applied Social Psychology. Before earning her Ph.D., Laura taught math and science in a high school classroom, an experience that continues to shape her commitment to making science useful, accessible, and meaningful for families, educators, and youth.

We have tried to make this programming accessible to many income levels; if the cost is prohibitive to you, please reach out to us at ggscparenting@berkeley.edu to discuss options.