Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Durocher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Amanda, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?
I have always been very empathetic. My youngest memories consist of people pointing out my empathy and my capacity to be with others and their pain. I experienced trauma at a young age, and I believe this contributed to my ability to be empathetic and compassionate towards others. I find that the more we are able to sit with and feel our own pain, the more we are able to be with others’ pain and suffering as well.
Through my own healing journey, I learned there was never anything wrong with me and that all my feelings were valid. It sounds simple, but it was really profound for me after spending most of my life judging myself and believing that there was something inherently wrong with me. Once I saw there was nothing wrong with me, I was able to see that there’s nothing wrong with anyone else either. Many people are suffering from the same pain, hard feelings, and negative beliefs I too have struggled with.
I started New View Advice as a way to bring more empathy and compassion to the world. I believe everything is healable, but through empathy and compassion, the journey can be easier.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m the creator of New View Advice, a community where people can have a safe space to heal and ask their most vulnerable questions about life, relationships, and trauma without judgment. I serve as a guide on the healing journey.
What started out as New View Advice podcast has evolved into a resource hub for people on the healing journey. My intention is to offer free and affordable resources for the healing journey because I know firsthand how difficult and expensive healing from trauma can be and I don’t think that should be the case.
I started my own healing journey in my early 20s after the death of a close friend. This was the moment I realized I had been living on auto-pilot and wanted so much more for my life, but didn’t know where to begin. Healing from grief led me to heal from so much more including childhood trauma, repressed memories, rape, sexual assault, and family dynamics.
As I began talking about my trauma, my family, friends, and therapists told me these were things I would never get over and would just have to learn how to live with. When I was at my breaking point, I decided this old point of view was unacceptable and I embarked on finding a new view on healing. I dedicated my life to healing and to learning how to love myself.
I believe it is possible to heal from anything including trauma, abuse, addictions, and overwhelming feelings such as anxiety and depression, but oftentimes we don’t know where to begin. I created New View Advice to offer guidance on the healing journey because it is a community I wish had existed as I went through my darkest days. I believe you have all the answers you seek, you just may need a little guidance and a new view along the way.
I am launching a YouTube Channel soon which will consist of videos where I talk about my own journey healing from sexual trauma and more.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Perseverance
I believe any journey requires perseverance, including the healing journey. Life is a roller coaster and is filled with high and low moments. During the lows, I focus on embracing self-care and self-compassion. During the highs, I allow myself to enjoy them but do not get attached, instead I practice being present and knowing this moment won’t last forever. Perseverance reminds me to keep moving forward and that life is a journey, not a destination.
2. Self-Compassion
Life can be challenging and it’s only through embracing self-compassion that I am where I am today. I find life is truly only as difficult as the way we speak to ourselves. The harder I am on myself, the more difficult everything is. The kinder I am to myself, the easier life becomes. I believe that compassion is what the world needs, and so often it starts with us learning to be kind to ourselves first.
3. Self-Reflection & Self-Honesty
Self-reflection has been such an important part of my journey, and I believe that by constantly reflecting and being honest with myself I am able to keep growing and to meet new challenges and failures with a fresh mindset. So often throughout my own journey I have been my biggest obstacle. I have been my biggest critic as well as the person who keeps me stuck the most, and it’s only through self-reflection (and self-compassion) that I am able to see this and to then be honest with myself about what needs to change so I can keep moving forward.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
I found this book at the beginning of my healing journey and have continued to read it at least once a year. This book reminds me of three things – to have faith, that life often only gives us the next step towards our dreams (not all the steps), and the importance of following my heart no matter what the outside world says.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newviewadvice.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newviewadvice/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@newviewadvice
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0MZlCN7Bx21fwzu6nfkgoM
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
