The Five Secrets: Communication Skills that Transform Therapy and Everyday Life

Do You Know How Empathic You Really Are?

And does it actually matter?

We all like to think we're empathic. But research shows that therapists - no matter how experienced - often overestimate their empathy. And those subtle blind spots can quietly derail progress in therapy.

Patients may leave feeling unheard, defensive, or disconnected, even when our intentions are good. The same dynamic happens at home - with partners, friends, or family.

That's why learning to see these blind spots clearly - and repair them in real time - can radically change outcomes. It's not just about being "nice" or "understanding." It's about learning the precise skills that create trust, openness, and transformation in every conversation. 

You'll Learn How to:

• Apply the Five Secrets of Effective Communication to dissolve defensiveness and deepen connection
• Use the Law of Opposites to respond calmly and compassionately when emotions run high
• Accurately assess your empathy at every session with real-time feedback tools
• Respond skillfully to angry, critical, or resistant patients
• Turn "failures" into breakthroughs through the philosophy of joyous failure

Communication Tools You'll Learn:

• Disarming Techniques - find truth in criticism and defuse tension instantly
• Empathy Skills - listen with accuracy so others feel truly seen and understood
• Inquiry - invite the patient to share more, making it safe to open up
• I-Feel Statements -  express your feelings with honesty and vulnerability
• Stroking & Respect Statements - build warmth and safety even during conflict
• Empathy Rating Scales- measure and improve connection in every interaction

You'll also see live demonstrations and role-plays that bring these tools to life - helping your experience what authentic empathy truly feels like, both as a therapist and a human being. 

Training Details:

Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM PT - 1:00 PM PT/ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
CE Credit: Earn 2 Continuing Education Units (CE)

Cost: We're proud to make this event free for students and the general public. Licensed mental health professionals may register for $49 (includes 2 CE hours and post-event replay). CE credit is awarded to those who attend live and complete the post-event survey.

Open to: Therapists, mental health professionals, and the general public.

Can’t attend live? Register anyway to receive the recording. CE credit is awarded only to those who attend live and complete the post-event survey.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the accuracy of therapists in estimating their empathy for patients, as perceived by patients.
• Identify at least one powerful and accurate way to access empathy at every therapy session.
• Explain the philosophy of "joyous failure" when practicing the Five Secrets of Effective Communication.

Instructor Bios:

David Burns, MD, is an Adjunct Clincial Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavorial Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He is an award-winning researcher and teacher, the bestselling author of self-help books, including Feeling Good, with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, and the host of the Feeling Good podcast, which has received over 9 million downloads.

Dr. Burns was a pioneer in the development of cognitive therapy, and is the creator of TEAM-CBT, which makes rapid recovery from depression and anxiety possible. His Feeling Great app triggers 60% to 70% reductions in feelings of depression and anxiety in less than one day.

Dr. Burns graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College, earned his MD from Stanford, and completed his psychiatry residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He later served as Acting Chief of Psychiatry at Penn and as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Jill Levitt is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Training at the Feeling Good Institute in Mountain View, CA.  Dr. Levitt has almost 20 years of experience conducting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and has been trained by some of the world’s leaders in CBT.  She has co-written several scholarly articles in the areas of OCD, PTSD and Panic Disorder. Most recently she has been co-teaching CBT with Dr. David Burns at the Stanford University School of Medicine in her role on the Adjunct Clinical Faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. She also trains other therapists in David Burns’ model of CBT called TEAM-CBT Therapy. She is a certified Level 5 Master Therapist and Trainer in TEAM-CBT Therapy.  Dr. Levitt teaches both in-person and online workshops for Feeling Good Institute on CBT methods, reducing resistance in psychotherapy, and improving the effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Continuing Education Accreditation

*The Feeling Good Institute (FGI) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Feeling Good Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Feeling Good Institute Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0175. The Feeling Good Institute (FGI) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6750. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. FGI is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Feeling Good Institute, #1442 is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Feeling Good Institute maintains responsibility for this course. Ace provider approval period: 05/30/2024-05/30/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 2 continuing education credit. Feeling Good Institute, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0678. A certificate of attendance will be emailed to attendees who attend 100% of the training within a week of completion of the workshop survey. Individuals with disabilities requiring special accommodations please contact Dr. Maor Katz at maor@feelinggoodinstitute.com.