Empathy in Counselling Practice: A Literature Analysis Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of empathy within the context of counselling practice. It begins with an introduction to the concept of empathy, defining it as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, and highlighting its importance in leadership and communication. The report then delves into a literature review, exploring different facets of empathy, including cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassionate empathy. The cognitive theory of empathy is discussed, focusing on perspective-taking and understanding others' feelings. Furthermore, the report examines the usefulness and disadvantages of empathy, outlining its benefits in human relationships, emotional healing, and creative thinking, while also acknowledging its limitations in certain contexts. The analysis concludes that empathy is a valuable yet complex skill, offering both advantages and risks, with a need for nuanced understanding of its application in counselling and other interpersonal settings. The report also includes several references from various scholars and researchers.

Running head: REPORT 0
COUNSELLING PRACTICE
AUGUST 22, 2019
STUDENT DETAILS:

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Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................2
Analysis of literature-................................................................................................................................2
What is empathy?....................................................................................................................................2
Cognitive theory of empathy...................................................................................................................3
Usefulness and disadvantages of empathy...............................................................................................4
Conclusions derived from analysis...........................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The empathy is the capability for precisely putting yourself "in shoes of someone" to
know the situation of others, to know the opinions, views and beliefs from their perspective. The
empathy is the critical set of skills that creates upon itself. The empathy is considered as complex
skill for a person to have as the leader. It contributes to the correct understanding of the workers,
the perception as well as concern of workers. The empathy also enhances the communication
skills so that a person may sense what other people desire to know and if they are attaining this
from a person or not. If at all possible, the worker may learn skills in empathy from a person, in
that way helping them to become more effective leader, manager and supervisor himself. In the
following parts, the empathy skill and evidence for usefulness or disadvantages of this skill is
discussed and critically examined.
Analysis of literature-
What is empathy?
The term empathy is taken from the German einfühlung that accurately interprets as
"emotion into." For various years, empathy has drawn the attention of great philosophers in
various areas of the study, however only just has empathy practised the great comeback,
signalled by the arrival of common neuroscience. In the simple meaning, the empathy is alertness
of the belief as well as emotion of others. This is the main factor of emotional intelligence
(Bayne & Jangha, 2016). It establishes the connection amid self and other people, for the reason
that this is how the person as individual understands what other people are practicing as if the
people were realizing this us. As per the views of psychologist Daniel Goleman, the empathy is
considered as one of the five main elements of emotional intelligence. This is the very important

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skill of leadership. It establishes by three stages. These three stages are emotional empathy,
compassionate empathy as well as cognitive empathy. The cognitive empathy is a consideration
of thoughts as well as feelings of someone, in the very balanced sense, in place of the emotional
sense. Further, the emotional empathy is also considered as emotional contamination. It is
catching feelings of someone, so that the person exactly feels him too (Toy, et. al, 2016). In
addition, the compassionate empathy is the understanding of emotions of someone, and taking
proper actions for assisting. Moreover, Daniel Goleman recognised 5 main components of the
empathy. These include understanding other people, developing other people, leveraging
diversity, having service orientation as well as political alertness (Demirci, et. al, 2016).
Cognitive theory of empathy
While the people practice the cognitive empathy, it means they are practicing by
considering the perception of other person. Fundamentally, the people are supposing what this
may be like to really be this individual in the circumstances (Wundrich, et. al, 2017). Cognitive
empathy is considered as the perspective-taking that lends itself to a concept of placing ourselves
in the shoes of someone. In a moment while the people care about is hurting, this may be simple
for them to keep the distance from it because the people may see big picture. For instance, in a
case when the friend does not get the job that is offered, one can most likely see his or her
dissatisfaction. However, the person can also identify that he or she is able l likely find a great
job soon. Alternatively, while the people are exercising cognitive empathy, they can meet other
people where they know why they will be realizing depressing or dissatisfied after not getting the
work (Bulut & Aslan, 2019).

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Usefulness and disadvantages of empathy
There are various advantages and disadvantages of the empathy. The key benefit of
empathy is human relationship. It is helpful in understanding of the views of other person. By
following this skill, the person is able of knowing that what to do for changing the emotional
world of a person for the advancement. I think one can create the difference in the life of various
people by just having knowledge how to assist or being there for somebody who actually
requires a person. I realize while the person is going by the emotional low or high, while it is
required to share it with other people. The people are not created to be unaccompanied human
beings. The people desire friendship. The empathy is most frequently provided to the person in
pain (Gumustas, et. al, 2017). The empathy assists the people to realize as though they are not
lonely, that they have some other people who realize what the people realize. I understand that to
be capable to realize empathy makes able the people to make more significant connection with
others as the sort of natural perceptive of the view helps us relate to them as well as tell the
correct things. To be empathetic means we care and just because we care, there is reason for us
to exist and interact with the world. The empathy permits the people to link and develop
sensitively with others and make long lasting relations along with links. As the empath myself,
these are certain benefits that I have recognized. Mainly, the empathy links the individuals
together. It heals emotional issues. It also creates the faith. Empathy makes you more creative
(DelTosta, Ellis & McNamara, 2019).
Further, the empathy is the humane excellence, which is advantageous for all the people
in most social context. Other than in close relations, particularly the relations that have suffered
damages, the empathy is unhappily insufficient. The empathy is recognition with what other
people are feeling. I came to know that we empathize with the partner on the basis of capability

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for recognising their feelings (Guthrie, Hughes & Brown, 2018). Thus, why it is severe limitation
following relation damage. Generally, the afraid as well as shame-based persons draw the
attention of each other. The people, for whom the most dreaded emotional experience is terror,
are expected to cope by making emotional alliance with others. They are appropriate to look for
partners they observe to be defensive, dominant, as well as big-hearted. The frightened partner
may scarcely realize with deeper understanding of the embarrassment based lover. For the reason
that the failure, though unpleasant, is not practically as awful for her, as long as she feels related
to other people who care for her. I feel that empathy has a propensity to be extremely sensitive in
common. This means they not only have sort out for approaching back views of other people,
however they also become more simply overwhelmed by heavy noises as well as busy public
environment (Kemper & Khirallah, 2015).
Conclusions derived from analysis
As per the above analysis it can be concluded that the empathy is beneficial as well as
risky at the same time. Being empathetic creates the person appreciate the current moments. The
empathy expands the views. This also promotes positive as well as good emotions. It is clear that
it has also some disadvantages. The person and his or her partner almost certainly would not
know what support the person each want at the time of recovery, for the reason that the person
would most likely have the various core vulnerability that would need various types of the
support.

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References
Bayne, H. B., & Jangha, A. (2016). Utilizing improvisation to teach empathy skills in counselor
education. Counselor Education and Supervision, 55(4), 250-262.
Bulut, B., & Aslan, S. (2019). The Effect of Communication and Immigration Activities in 7th
Grade Social Studies Course on the Empathy Skills of Students. Journal of Education
and Training Studies, 7(5), 86-91.
DelTosta, J. E., Ellis, M. V., & McNamara, M. L. (2019). Trainee vicarious traumatization:
Examining supervisory working alliance and trainee empathy. Training and Education in
Professional Psychology. 24(3), 232-243
Demirci, E., Ozmen, S., Kilic, E., & Oztop, D. B. (2016). The relationship between aggression,
empathy skills and serum oxytocin levels in male children and adolescents with attention
deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Behavioural pharmacology, 27(8), 681-688.
Gumustas, F., Yilmaz, I., Yulaf, Y., Gokce, S., & Sabuncuoglu, O. (2017). Empathy and facial
expression recognition in children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder: effects of stimulant medication on empathic skills in children with attention-
deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of child and adolescent
psychopharmacology, 27(5), 433-439.
Guthrie, E., Hughes, R., & Brown, R. J. (2018). PI‐E: An Empathy Skills Training Package to
Enhance Therapeutic Skills of IAPT and Other Therapists. British Journal of
Psychotherapy, 34(3), 408-427.

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Kemper, K. J., & Khirallah, M. (2015). Acute effects of online mind–body skills training on
resilience, mindfulness, and empathy. Journal of evidence-based complementary &
alternative medicine, 20(4), 247-253.
Toy, E., Ownby, A., Hamburger, M., Hsieh, P., Hormann, M., & Butler, P. (2016). Teaching
Third Year Medical Students Communication and Empathy Skills: Be Explicit and Use
Examples. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 128, 40S.
Wündrich, M., Schwartz, C., Feige, B., Lemper, D., Nissen, C., & Voderholzer, U. (2017).
Empathy training in medical students–a randomized controlled trial. Medical
teacher, 39(10), 1096-1098.