| Term | Definition |
| Empathy | Understanding the emotional perspective of another person and communicating this understanding. Seeing the world through someone's eyes |
| Purpose of empathy | Stimulates and encourages discussion of feelings, confirms that feelings will be heard and accepted, and allows for expression of feelings, which frees up energy for problem solving |
| Well used use of empathy | Conveys to client they are worth understanding, reduces psychological threat, and stimulates more discussion of emotions |
| When empathy is absent | Conveys that counselor wasn't listening to client, creates distance in helping relationship, and shuts down discussion |
| Types of empathy | Basic, invitational, inferred, preparatory |
| Basic empathy | A counselor's acknowledgment of The clients clearly communicate feelings |
| Inferred empathy | Identification of a client's feelings based on nonverbal cues and indirect communication. |
| Invitational empathy | Tool A counselor uses to encourage clients to explore emotions |
| Preparatory empathy | The counselors attempt to consider (in advance of the interview) the feelings and concerns that the client may communicate indirectly |
| Four key principles of empathy | Positive reinforcement, create safety, avoid assumptions, and be flexible |
| In accurate empathy | responses that under or over estimate the intensity of clients feelings. Wrong feelings identified |
| Metaphors | Describe the state by using a simple in a direct comparison |
| Affect | A term that counselors use to describe how people express emotions |
| Terms to describe affect | Blunted, flat, inappropriate, labile, restricted |
| Blunted (affect) | Emotional expression is less than one might expect |
| Flat (affect) | There is an absence or near absence of any signs of emotional expression |
| Inappropriate (affect) | The persons manner and mood contradict what one might expect |
| Labile (affect) | There is abnormal variability in affect, with repeated, rapid, and abrupt shifts in affective expressions |
| Restricted (affect) | There is a mild reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression |
| Affective disorders | Disturbances in mood, including depression and mania |
| Dysthymia | A chronic condition with symptoms similar to depression but that are less severe |
| Positive client reactions to empathy | Reduction of pain, Increased insight, increased trust and rapport with counselor |
| Negative client reactions to empathy | Anger at counselor, embarrassed, Sense of intrusion, fear of continuing counseling |
| Poor substitute for empathy | Cut off, empty responses, Sympathy |
| Cutoffs | Phrases that inhibit the further expression of feelings |
| Empty responses | They are devoid of content and convey know confirmation that the counselor has understood |
| Sympathy | Refers to concern for other peoples problems and emotions end is related to our own emotional And behavioural reactions |
