Book excerpt: What if there were a single skill that could directly and radically improve your relationships and your emotional life? Empathy, teaches Karla McLaren, is that skill. With The Art of Empathy, she teaches us how to perceive and feel the experiences of others with clarity and authenticity—to connect with them more deeply and effectively. Informed by current insights from neuroscience, social psychology, and healing traditions, this book explores: Why empathy is not a mystical phenomenon but a natural, innate ability that we can strengthen and develop • How to identify and regulate our emotions and boundaries • The process of shifting into the perspective of others • How to provide support in a sensitive and healthy way • Insights for navigating our hyper-connected social landscape • Targeted chapters for improving family, workplace, and intimate relationships • Ways to expand our empathy to our community, global levels of society, and the natural world Empathy, reflects Karla McLaren, is the skill that builds bridges— a skill that not only creates connection, but that helps us to be more effective in all areas of our lives.