The ERA Process

A highly structured communicative process that promotes intimacy as well as personal growth and development.
he ERA Process is increasingly realized as both participants experience and demonstrate to one another greater degrees of the interpersonal skills of Empathy, Respect and Authenticity (ERA). [Empathy: Understanding an Other's thoughts and feelings from their communicated perspective.] [Respect: Concern, regard, and appreciation for the Other's experiences, feelings, and potential.] [Authenticity: Expression of One's "truth" in an appropriate and constructive manner.] "The ERA Process" requires two active roles: One is Sending, the Other is Receiving. In these roles, each intentionally "gifts" the other. [Intentionality is counter-instinctive and can be extremely threatening.]

1:

THE PROCESS
SENDING

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RECEIVING

Request appointment to engage in "The ERA Process." Notice your authentic "truth" within at this very moment. Report clearly what you notice within yourself so that you are increasingly transparent and available to be known by the Receiver. Add information that comes to you until you have stated all of the pieces in your awareness on the subject. When invited to say more, and there is no more new data coming into your awareness, report "That is all there is about that for now" and stop.

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Grant a time as soon as possible. Turn off self awareness and be totally curious, open, and attentive to Sender. Invite the Sender to "send" by saying, "I am available to hear you."

When Sender pauses, Mirror precisely what you have heard and seen (content, tone of voice, pace and intensity of delivery, body language, etc.) and ask "Did I get it?'" If the answer is "Yes," invite the Sender to "Tell me more." If the answer is "No," say "Tell me what I missed," then Mirror. Re-invite "Tell me more." \Vhen the Sender reports "That's all," do a Summary Mirror, followed by "Did I get it all?" If Sender makes corrections, Mirror, until Sender says "You got it." Send a validating statement: "You make sense to me. and given all of that. I can imagine you might feel (state appropriate feelings}." If Sender makes corrections, Mirror until Sender says "You got it." Take a deep, audible breath. Exchange roles.

When asked if Receiveot it all, Respond with missing pieces until you can honestly say "You got it." If, in the validation statement, the Receiver misses accurate feelings, Offer corrections. When Receiver makes corrections, say "You got it." Take a deep, audible breath. Exchange roles.

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Developed by Joyce Buckner, ph.D., Psychologist. 2004 By Joyce Buckner, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.