Mannheim/Stuttgart/Berlin (dpa) – Britta K. from Berlin lives in a classic blended-family situation: Her partner brought a child into their relationship, and together they have another. Navigating daily life as a family of four constantly presents emotional challenges, as she explains. Since February, the 49-year-old has been participating in a "Paths to Greater Compassion" training program at the University of Mannheim. "One reason for me was definitely our family situation, where conflicts keep arising—not just in our relationship, but also in this blended-family dynamic."

How a German University Teaches Compassion in Daily Life

Her goal for the training? To improve communication within the family, more easily adopt the other person's perspective, and do something for her own well-being. For ten weeks, she meets online once a week with about a dozen other participants to explore topics like self-compassion, compassion, and empathy. But can compassion really be trained—and if so, how?

To develop compassion, people need to feel secure

The focus is on cultivating different aspects of compassion, explains psychotherapist Corina Aguilar-Raab of the University of Mannheim. "When you develop or nurture all these conditions, they ultimately lead to greater compassion for others."

First, participants must learn to feel secure within themselves, Aguilar-Raab says. "For any habit we want to develop—and we want compassion to become a habit, something ingrained in us—we need a foundation of security."

Meditation, journaling, and peer exchange

The program equips participants with strategies to quickly regain emotional balance in stressful situations. Homework includes daily meditation, keeping a kind of journal, and regular check-ins with a designated partner from the group.

In one early session, participants are guided through a meditation where they visualize a place or memory where they feel especially safe. They are encouraged to recall this "nourishing moment," as the course leader calls it, whenever they feel stressed.

Memories of family vacations in nature bring calm

Daniel L. from Stuttgart also signed up for the course to better handle everyday family conflicts. His nourishing moment comes from memories of vacations with his wife and children—like arriving by bike at a lake, says the 40-year-old. "It's not a specific image, just the feeling from that time."

In stressful situations, he says, recalling that feeling has already helped him pause and take a breath. Simply knowing he has tools to help himself is reassuring.

Compassionate people often report greater well-being, study finds

According to Aguilar-Raab, compassion isn't just good for others—it benefits those who practice it, too. A meta-analysis of 37 individual studies, conducted with colleagues at the University of Mannheim, found that people who show compassion toward others also experience greater personal well-being.

Those who empathize with, support, or help others report higher life satisfaction, more joy, and a stronger sense of purpose, the study's press release states. On average, their psychological well-being is higher.

Judith Mangelsdorf, director of the German Society for Positive Psychology, considers the meta-analysis robust. However, she notes that it remains unclear whether compassion leads to greater well-being—or whether greater well-being fosters compassion.

How do people unconsciously categorize others?

The compassion training also explores relationship dynamics, Aguilar-Raab says. People automatically—and often unconsciously—categorize those around them. "We connect with people we find likable," the researcher explains. "Then there are those we don't like. And a large majority we simply don't care about."

Developing compassion for those close to us isn't difficult—but it's another story with the other two groups, explains the expert. The goal is to cultivate a kind of impartiality—to connect with others, so to speak, "on a shared human level." This way, in times of crisis, people will feel bonded even to those they don't know well—and be willing to help them.

Expert Calls It a "Lifelong Practice"

Ten weeks of coursework on topics some spend years exploring in therapy—can compassion really be trained in such a short time? "That's actually a tricky question," admits Aguilar-Raab. "This is essentially a lifelong practice." What matters most, she says, is how much time participants dedicate to the exercises.

Corina Mangelsdorf, an expert from the German University for Health and Sport (DHGS) in Berlin, views compassion training positively in general. "Compassion itself is a skill," she explains, "and any skill can be developed through practice." Studies have confirmed the effectiveness of such programs.

The key, she emphasizes, is engaging with the subject daily over an extended period. Social media, in particular, has shaped many people's routines around avoiding—rather than identifying with—others' suffering. "This often makes us even more desensitized instead of truly opening ourselves to empathy."