FAQs

bottom-line it for me, what do you do?

Bottom-line? We help people be better humans. We know this may sound like we wear rose colored glasses, but through our work as researchers on empathy, we've learned that building a practice of empathy is hard, but necessary work. 

Not only will it make us all better humans, but with our framework of empathy education, we do this work to help corporations, organizations, universities and individuals combat discord, inefficiencies, misunderstandings, and other interpersonal roadblocks that get in the way of effective growth and change

Essentially, we offer a facet of DEI education from a different angle.

Want to learn more about what we do, head on over to our Services page!

you say you're empathy educators, what does that mean?

Through our work as social scientists, we've seen time and time again that empathy is the driving force toward real societal change.

If we spend time with others' stories and lived experiences, we can better understand the who, what, and why of them. 

Everything we do at Abbey Research is framed with that belief. Thus, we are empathy educators - using our training to help folks build empathy in order to create more inclusive communities. 

To get a sense of how this works, watch our The Good Doctors Diagnose video on 'How to Apologize for Your Past.'

What's it like to work with your best friend?

In a word: fun. We do get asked this question a lot, mostly because people assume it would be too hard to work closely with your best friend. 

One of the reasons we teach about emotional intelligence is because it takes a great deal of EQ for us to be a successful partnership. We reflect on ourselves and our relationship all the time. 

We start with empathy, prioritize communication, and know that our contrasting personalities, skill sets, and work styles are the best combination of ingredients to make our dream team. 

To get a sense of how we work -- and laugh -- together check out our latest video outtakes from our YouTube channel!

Where do i find dr. kristen's ted talks?

In May 2021, Dr. Kristen graced the stage at TEDxSouthLakeTahoe and stepped into her first (of many) red circles. Since then she took the stage three more times at TEDxFarmingdale, TEDxChicago, and TEDxRutgersCamden!

We're so happy that all of these talks are available online! We have a handy landing page where they all live so that you can learn more about the work we do! 

If you're interested in booking Dr. Kristen for your next speaking event, check out our Keynotes page to learn more!

I want to know more -- how can i get in touch?

We respond to pretty much all forms of communication. We often joke that this includes carrier pigeon and owl post, but excludes TikTok and SnapChat (because they scare us). 

Send us a message through the Contact Us page or find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn as Abbey Research. 

If you want to go straight to booking a call, here's the handy link!

i just found out i can't say 'spirit animal' anymore - is there anything else i can't say?

In short, yes. Language is constantly evolving, and we know it can be hard to keep track of words and phrases we can and can't say. 

The general rule we follow is to use the language that the person or group has consented to, and to avoid using words that stereotype, marginalize, or oppress those humans.

This means instead of 'spirit animal' (a sincere belief held by many Native tribes and Nations) try saying 'patronus' or 'inspiration' instead.

We run an online training on this topic at least once a year, so sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date!

what does talking about tv have to do with empathy?

Humans have been telling stories as a way to express themselves since God was a girl. Storytelling is one of the oldest cultural traditions that allows us to understand each other better. 

One of the key ways to practice empathy is to spend some time in another person's story. We can do this most easily through art and media -- books, comics, podcasts, music, TV, and movies. 

We are avid consumers of all these forms of art, and we learn so much about others through these forms.

To get a sense for our empathy education through discussing TV, check out our YouTube playlist of streaming content!

why are personal pronouns are such a big deal?

Our understandings of gender and sexuality are constantly evolving. These changes are being driven by humans who are finding new words to best describe how they see themselves. 

Respecting a person's chosen pronouns is one important step toward building a more inclusive community. We are all already diverse, just by existing, but labels can be a huge part of a person's identity. We can show them we include them in the rainbow of humanity through the simple act of accepting their label. 

To learn more about this important topic, check out our episode of Welcome To My World 'Non-Binary Life with Dianna Anderson'!

We also run an online training on this topic at least once a year, so sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date!

i work from home now. how can i get my co-workers to respect my boundaries?

When we teach about boundary setting, we start with emotional intelligence. You have to know yourself -- what you need to work and rest -- before you can start to set boundaries.

The second step to setting boundaries is clear communication. Once you've decided your boundaries, tell your co-workers, in crystal clear language, what they are. 

Finally (and we know this is hard) you have to stick to them. The first time you answer an email after hours, breaking your boundary, it becomes a lot easier for co-workers to keep pushing those boundaries till they no longer exist. 

If you want to hear more, watch our Good Doctors Diagnose video on 'Boundary Setting at Work'. 

i want to work with the good doctors. what will it cost?

We would love to work with you, and we're so glad you asked about money. We hate playing games with economics, so here's the brass tacks: 

+ Workshops (online & in-person) start at $1,500.

+ Our Day Rate starts at $5,000.

+ Implementation and Strategy Packages are priced specific to your needs.

To bring The Good Doctors to your event or organization, book a call here.

where do you work or where can i find you?

Our brick and mortar office is based in Philadelphia and Dr. Erin works remotely from Pittsburgh, so we often work with clients in these metro areas. 

However, our service area is really the globe. If you would like to hire The Good Doctors to work with your company, team, or organization we would be delighted to work with you. No lie, we love finding new favorite restaurants around the globe. 

If you would rather work with us online - we were on Zoom before it was cool and are adept at using that platform to serve!

Book a call today to learn how we can help!