Communicating Empathy

negative empathy - detract from or distort client communication

basic - responses are roughly interchangeable with client statements

additive - adds to client statements

two sides of brain - thinking & feeling

• if feeling brain is in overdrive, the thinking brain can’t

• that’s why when we are in heightened states of emotion, we don’t always make the best decisions

many emotion terms reflect a mix of feelings, yet clients tend to see their emotions in black & white

structuring reflections of feeling

• simple reflection = i wonder if you’re feeling angry

• structure

  • stem

  • name the feeling

  • the underlying facts or reasons behind the feeling

  • check out

emotional styles - developmental counseling

• sensorimotor

  • experiencing rather than naming or reflecting

  • limited separation of thought and feeling

  • can be overwhelmed by their emotions

  • interventions

    • what are you feeling right now? I see tears…?

    • grounding techniques to regulate affect

• concrete

  • vague understanding of underlying emotions

• abstract-formal operational

  • reflecting on emotional situations, avoiding experiencing them

  • interventions

    • as you’re reflecting back on that situation, what feelings do you notice coming up?

• abstract dialectical/systemic

  • analyzing patterns of emotion

  • interventions

    • where do you think you learned that - it’s not okay to get angry?

reflect positive emotions

• positive emotions can

  • increase motivation

  • enhance coping skills

  • increase flexibility, creativity, and openness

• positive feelings as aspects of wellness

• **DO NOT use positive feelings to minimize negative feelings