Stress, burnout, and incivility are now common features of the modern workplace. Yet what if the very experiences that bring us down could also help build us, and others, back up?
This session introduces Positive Altruism—the insight that helping others doesn’t just benefit the recipient, but also enhances the well-being of the giver. Research suggests that adversity, when meaningfully processed, can deepen empathy, strengthen connection, and inspire people to care for one another in new ways. While post-traumatic stress is widely recognized and post-traumatic growth increasingly valued, the idea of post-traumatic altruism—helping others as a result of one’s own suffering—remains largely underexplored in organizational life.
Grounded in the presenter’s capstone from the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, this session draws on research in post-traumatic growth, positive psychology, the empathy–altruism hypothesis (Batson et al., 1981), altruism born of suffering (Staub, 2003; 2005), and the survivor mission framework (Herman, 1992). Together, these perspectives suggest that hardship can be a catalyst for prosocial behavior, perspective-taking, and compassionate leadership.
Rather than idealizing pain or pathologizing struggle, this session offers a science-based lens for transforming hardship into human connection. Participants will explore practical, research-backed strategies to support healing, elevate empathy, and help leaders and teams move from pain to purpose and from incivility to kindness.
Sponsored by Health Enhancement Research Organization (HERO), a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. This program is designated for Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) and/or Master Certified Health Education Specialists (MCHES) to receive Category I continuing education contact hours. Provider ID#101039
