Problem:
As a student how would you respond to this classmate of yours, include in-text citation and references from 2021 below
Empathy is the ability to understand an individual's experiences and the genuineness a counselor offers to ensure therapeutic progress (Egan & Reese, 2019). Opland and Torrico (2024) state empathy enables clients to feel understood, safe, engage in self-exploration, and reduces dropout rates. Two techniques to demonstrate empathy are turn taking and connecting (Egan & Reese, 2019). Turn taking places the counselor not in an authoritative role, but as a helper. Connection builds upon this, allowing the conversation to deepen as they share what they have understood the other to have said.
While engaging in the "Empathic Listening Practice Exercise," I learned I am effective with turn taking and summarizing. However, where I lack and struggle is in validation. I noticed I gave the same responses like "sounds like that was hard" but beyond that I couldn't grasp what else to say. Anything else I thought of was more of a solution to their problem and how to fix it, instead of allowing them to think through and process. I had to catch myself several times wanting to tell them what they should do. I learned I need to do better in allowing the moments of stillness to sit so that we can collaborate better together. Need Assignment Help?