There are five foundational concepts that will recur at every session. Understanding them will make your learning experience easier, and you will be able to follow and participate in the discussions. 1) Observations vs. Evaluations 2) Feelings vs. Thoughts 3) Needs vs. Strategies 4) Requests vs. Demands 5) Empathy (Needs-based empathy) If at the end of your trial month you decide to stay in the program, we recommend that you buy the book Empowerment Therapy and study the sections above. In addition, it will be helpful for you to print the Inventories and bring them to the sessions.