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Plenary Session 3: 'In their shoes: Leadership through empathy'

Friday, 28th August 2026 - 11:30 to 13:00
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Timezone: 

UTC +1

Duration: 

90 Minute

Venue: 

HALL A

Type 1: Organised, planned and delivered by the ADEE
Including ADEE awards
Session synopsis: 

Welcome to our final pleanary session of ADEE 2026. Today we focus on empathy and its impact.  We begin with a panel discusison exploring empathy in the oral health professions education context. 

Communication in clinical settings can fall into two areas: Task focussed, relating to the clinical care that is to be delivered, the knowledge to convey etc; Emotion focussed, building an empathic understanding of the student’s or patient’s concerns and responding appropriately. In this session we will argue for the importance of operating within both these domains, while suggesting that the Emotional Domain is often overlooked. We will highlight the importance of empathy for clinical care, student education, self care and team working. We will explore the challenge of being empathic and outline an approach to engaging in empathic interactions.

Programme: 

11:30 Welcome and introduction 

11:35 Panel discusison and presenttaion: 'In their shoes: Leadership through empathy'

12:15 Questions and Answers 

12:30 Practice Green & Social Elcellence Awards 

12:50 ADEE 2027 Lublin 

13:00 Close 

 

Chair: 

Tim Newton

Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry
King’s College London, United Kingdom

Tim Newton is a Psychologist who has spent over 30 years working in dental settings with the goal of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of good oral and dental health. He is particularly concerned with addressing the needs of people who are anxious about attending the dentist, and in encouraging dental healthcare professionals to work with patients to develop healthy behaviours. As part of this he has undertaken extensive work supporting the well being of the dental team.

Tim is employed by King’s College London as Professor of Psychology as Applied to Dentistry, spending half his time working as Honorary Consultant Health Psychologist. Tim’s clinical work is focussed on individuals with dental phobia, and support for individual’s facing challenging dental procedures.

Tim is currently President and Trustee of the Oral Health Foundation, President of the British Society of Special care Dentistry and a Trustee of the Borrow Foundation.

Jackie Cooper

Partner
Cooper Transformations

Jackie Cooper is a highly regarded Cognitive Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner, boasting nearly three decades of invaluable experience within the dental industry. Starting her professional journey as a dental nurse almost 30 years ago, Jackie's innate drive for innovation propelled her into the commercial domain. Here, she dedicated her efforts to pioneering advancements in oral surgery outcomes, particularly through the implementation of cutting-edge laser technologies, which she taught and supported clinicians in utilising.

In the midst of her professional endeavours, Jackie's unwavering commitment to empowering individuals to reach their full potential led her to explore the transformative realms of cognitive hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Recognising the profound impact these modalities could have on enhancing lives, she made the courageous decision in 2020 to embark on a journey of requalification and specialisation.

Over the span of four years, Jackie immersed herself in rigorous study and practical training, refining her skills as a Cognitive Hypnotherapist and NLP Master Practitioner under the mentorship of esteemed professionals in the field. Her relentless dedication and steadfast pursuit of mastery culminated in her acquisition of certifications as a qualified master practitioner in both disciplines.

Today, Jackie Cooper stands as a symbol of transformation, seamlessly integrating her extensive background in dentistry with her expertise in cognitive reprogramming techniques. Operating her private practice, Jackie works closely with clients on a one-to-one basis, employing her skills to reframe old memories and alleviate unwanted trauma.

Furthermore, Jackie extends her impact through workshops covering a diverse range of topics, including trauma management, anxiety recognition, stress management, and the intricacies of the human mind. Through her unwavering dedication to personal growth and holistic well-being, Jackie continues to inspire positive change and facilitate profound transformations in the lives of those she serves.

Shannu Bhatia

Clinical Reader and Honorary consultant Paediatric dentist.
School of Dentistry Cardiff University, UK

Dr Shannu Bhatia is a Clinical Reader and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry at Cardiff University. She is the lead for Paediatric dentistry at Cardiff University. She chairs the Community of Practice of Wellbeing and Resilience at the Association of Dental Education in Europe. She has a Master’s both in Medical Education and in Clinical dentistry and is an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons. She holds the fellowship of the Learned Society of Wales, the Academy of Medical Educators, the Royal College of Surgeons (Paediatric Dentistry) and a Senior Fellowship of Higher Education Academy.

Her interests include dental education, dental management of children with complex needs and wellbeing of staff and students. As the immediate past President of British Society of Paediatric dentistry, she advocates for improvements in oral health of children.

She is an active clinically and academically and provides specialist consultant led treatment for children under local anaesthesia, inhalation sedation and general anaesthesia.

Learning Outcomes: 

By the end of the session those attending will

  • Be able to define ‘Empathy’ and distinguish it from ‘Sympathy’’
  • Have an appreciation of the distinction between ‘Task focussed’ and ‘Emotion focussed ‘ problem solving
  • Have reflected on the importance of empathic communication for
    • Patient care
    • Student support
    • Personal well being
    • Team working
  • Have explored barriers to empathic communication in clinical education
  • Have a knowledge of a structured approach to empathic communication