Communication
What Is Empathy?
Virginia J. Duffy PhD, Nurse Practitioner in
Psychiatry
Empathy, an invaluable communication technique, is perhaps the most
important communication skill of all. It can calm fear, reduce anger
and decrease hopelessness.
Basic empathy has two components. The first is the ability to “walk
in another’s shoes”— that is, to understand the experience and
feelings of another person in their particular circumstance.
The second component of empathy, and just as important, is the
ability
to successfully communicate that understanding to the other person.
Empathy is not sympathy, which is feeling sorry for someone. It is
much more than that. Empathy is the ability to be sensitive to the
feelings of another, and to understand and appreciate their point of
view.
There is an even deeper level of empathy often used by counselors
and therapists to help others. At this level not only is one be able
to express basic empathy as described above, but is also able to
accurately understand and convey the reasons for the person’s
feelings.
These are a few examples of the tips you will find in
Behavioral First Aid:
Managing Emotions During Emergencies is a new book by
Virginia Duffy PhD RN. Dr. Duffy is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
who has practiced in the Rochester area for over 25 years. More
about the author and the book can be found at
www.PsychSense.com
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