Listening and Empathetic Responding

Listening Well

• The first thing that typically comes to mind is physically being able to hear and vocalize what one is trying to say when in reality it is only the tip of the iceberg.

• Acritical part of the communication process

• Most difficult to learn

• Skills of an effective listener

  • Summarizing
  • Paraphrasing
  • Empathetic responding

• Four components of empathetic listening

  1. Recognizing emotions

  2. Assigning meaning

  3. Responding

  4. Listening for evidence of the accuracy of understanding

• Summarizing: sums the critical places of information.

  • Allows you to verify that you accurately understood the information conveyed by the patient

• Paraphrasing: attempt to convey back to the patient the essence of what they have just said

  • Condenses aspects of the content as well as assumes recognition of the patient’s attitude or feeling

• Empathetic responding: showing acknowledgment of their feelings in a way of making trust

Empathetic Responding vs. Paraphrasing

• The main difference is that empathic responding shows the emotions behind the words whereas paraphrasing is just the facts

Theoretical Foundation

• If individuals are able to express themselves honestly in an accepting, caring atmosphere, they will make healthy decisions for themselves.
  • This makes them emotionally healthier
• The ability to listen effectively and convey an understanding of emotional empathy is loosely based on what empathy is.
• Empathy: to sense one’s private world as if it was your own.
  • It is putting yourself not only in their shoes but their entire outfit/ mindset
• Being in the healthcare industry a listening ear goes a long way
• Accept the patient as an autonomous, worthwhile person
  • The worst thing you could do when someone comes to you for help is to judge them or make them feel less than
• Empathy creates a great foundation for trust

Empathetic Responding

• On top of empathy also convey
  • A genuine, sincere attitude it may also mean being direct and honest
  • The more a patient trust you the more they are willing to share

Emotional Responses to illness

• Dealing with illness fear, frustration and vulnerability are common
• The patient wants to feel they are understood and sometimes maybe justified

Empathy and Effective Communication

• Empathy has a positive effect on your customers. It is easier to trust someone who cares about your welfare
• An empathetic response can facilitate the patient’s own problem-solving ability. If they can safely express themselves they feel they have more control.
• Judging response: we tend to judge or evaluate other’s feelings
• Often times patients come to confide in their problems to get told that everything is ok and that they “shouldn’t worry” or “do not get discouraged”
  • This response tends to make the customers feel put down or misunderstood
• Advising response: the only one who should be giving advice is the pharmacists and they should only do so if specifically asked to do so
• Sometimes they do not need a solution they need time to vent
• Helping customers find a tool to help themselves is ok but they need to be the ones who sort through their emotional issues
• Placating or falsely reassuring Response: Giving a patient a falsely reassuring response can convey to the patient that they “shouldn’t” feel a certain way.
• This response is used because we think the patient needs to stop feeling upset or we might try to be changing the way the patient feels
• Unless you know, 100% that the outcome will be positive do not give them a false sense of hope
• Generalized response: telling them a similar story
  • This takes the attention from them and puts it on you
• Quizzing Probing Response: we ask too many questions taking the focus off of the customers’ emotions
  • It may make the customer feels overlooked
  • Sometimes solutions are not always needed
• Distracting response: when you don’t know what to say it goes into an awkward silence and then you change the subject
  • This may leave the customer feeling unheard, much less understood
• Understanding response: shows you understand without judging
  • Sometimes that is all that is needed

Attitudes Underlying Empathy

• With an empathetic response, one needs to both listen and understand the other person’s point of view
• You can accept their feelings as they leave without trying to change, stop, or judge them
• A person with empathy shows that listening to someone is helpful in and of itself
• It is redefining helping
• The patients may not be cured or treated but they are better than they were before
• Empathy shows that you do understand them.
  • To show empathy one should briefly summarize what they understand their feelings to be
• Reflection of feeling: when you have the ability to summarize the essence of a patient’s feelings and convey this understanding back to the patient.
  • Restating briefly, in your own words, the feelings expressed by the patient.
  • Conveys your attempt to grasp the meaning of the patient’s communication.
• An empathic response implies neither agreement nor disagreement with the patient’s perceptions.

Cognitive empathy

• Being able to listen and feel what the customer is going through but still maintaining some emotional distance
• To feel what they are going through but not take those emotions as your own

Empathy can be learned

• Some people are natural listers
• It takes some amount of practice and skills to be proficient in empathetic responding

Empathy and Trust in Health Professional Relationships

• Patients’ trust in their providers means they have confidence that the provider will act IN THE PATIENTS BEST INTERESTS.

Nonverbal Aspects of Empathy

• Establishing eye contact, leaning towards patients with no physical barriers, having a relaxed posture will help but the patient at ease and show your concern.
• Head nods and encouraging talking are also parts of empathic communication.
• The tone of voice, establishing a sense of privacy show respect for the patient.
• Conveying that you have time to listen without being hurried or distracted.
• The patient’s nonverbal cues could be their tone of voice, facial expression, and body posture all convey messages about their feelings.
  • To be empathic you must “hear” these messages as well as the words of patients use.
• Ask yourself, “How is this person feeling?”
  • It may give insight into other parts of the conversation

Problems in Establishing Helping Relationships

• Stereotyping, depersonalizing, and controlling are all problems when it comes to commenting with clients.

• Stereotyping: We have negative stereotypes about certain groups of people.

  • If you hold certain stereotypes you may fail to listen without judgment

• Depersonalizing: Not directing communication to the patient but towards the person beside them

• Controlling: Patients need to make their own decisions about their illnesses and treatments

  • Patients being told what to and not to do
  • They may already feel helpless

• Knowing when to refer: Communicating with a patient can lead you to suspect there are underlying causes

  • You may need to refer the patient to the pharmacist for further discussion
  • The pharmacist may need to refer the patient back to the doctor or counsellor

Review Questions.

1. List and name the following skills of effective listening.
2. Empathetic responding has several positive effects. What are they?
3. How can active listening be inhibited by stereotyping, depersonalizing, and controlling?