What is Empathy - Meaning and definition

Published by Roberto Wenk. Reviewed by Alison Ramsey. Last updated date: November 14, 2018.

Empathy, which literally translates as "in feeling," is the capability to share another being's emotions and feelings.

The English word is derived from the Greek word empatheia ("physical affection, passion, partiality") which comes from en ("in, at") + pathos ("feeling").

Empathy refers to the ability to do the following:
- Put aside personal agendas and view a situation from the patient´s point of view.
- Identify the patient´s emotions and their sources.
- Respond so patients realize the physician is aware of their emotions and understands why they feel as they do.
- Listen to a patient´s words but hear the unspoken messages that lie beneath the words.

Storey P, Knight CF. Unipac five: communication and the physician´s role on the interdisciplinary team. Reston, Virginia. American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 1998. p. 29.

Published by Roberto Wenk. Reviewed by Alison Ramsey. Last updated date: November 14, 2018.

The ability to perceive and understand the emotional experience of others and to relate to it a meaningful and appropriate manner.
An empathic connection occurs when the carer understands what the patient is experiencing, and when the carer communicates this either verbally or nonverbally, so that the patient feels that they are understood.

The empathic response is very useful in an emotionally charged interview. It consists of three steps:
1. Identifying the emotion that the patient is experiencing.
2. Identifying the origin and root cause of that emotion.
3. Responding in a way that tells the patient that you have made the connection between 1 and 2.

The empathic connection is often therapeutic in itself.
The most effective empathic response follows the format of “You seem to be…” or “It must be… “; for example, “It must be very distressing for you to know that all that therapy did not give you long-term remission”.
By identifying and acknowledging the emotion that the patient is experiencing, you are giving it legitimacy as an item on the patient’s agenda.

Buckman R. Communication Skills. Emanuel LL, Librach SL (Ed). Palliative Care – Core Skills and Clinical Competencies. 2nd ed. St. Louis, Missouri, Elsevier, 2011. pp. 30-55.

Published by Roberto Wenk. Reviewed by Alison Ramsey. Last updated date: December 7, 2018.

Comprehension and appreciation of others' experiences and motivations; tolerance of differing perspectives; understanding the effects of own behavior on others.

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Washington, DC. American Psychiatric Association. 2013. Internet. Accessed on June 21, 2017.

Published by Roberto Wenk. Last updated date: December 7, 2018.

It is the ability to understand things from another person's perspective: it's the ability to share someone else's feelings and emotions and understand why they're having those feelings.

There are three types of empathy:
- Cognitive empathy. It is the ability to understand how someone else feels and to work out what they might be thinking.
- Emotional or affective empathy. Refers to the ability to share another person's emotions.
- Compassionate empathy or empathic concern. It is when emotions are transformed into actions, when individuals are pushed to do something.

Empathy is important in almost every aspect of daily life: it allows to have compassion for others, relate to friends, loved ones, co-workers, and strangers.

See reference for more information.

Kucirkova A. Empathy: what it is, why it matters, and how you can improve. Masters in communication.org. Internet. Accessed on December 7, 2018.

Empathy

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