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Many healthcare providers are drawn to the work because they care about others and want to be of service. However, this intense connection to the pain and suffering of others is often the primary cause of emotional distress and burnout. What we love, what gives the work meaning, can also be the very cause of our own suffering. Some guard against this by distancing themselves from patients and clients, which paradoxically disconnects them from the source of meaning and leads to an increased likelihood of burnout. In recent years, mindfulness has become a popular strategy for improving healthcare providers’ resiliency in the face of challenging work. There is growing scientific evidence that ‘relational mindfulness,” which focuses on the interpersonal aspects of mindfulness practice, is a promising approach to cultivating connection and attunement to others while also overcoming the potentially adverse effect of empathic distress.