By Dr. Arnab Datta
Posted on April 19, 2022
Empathy – means feeling or understanding what another person is experiencing … being able to put yourself in their shoes. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cry with them.
If I cried with all of my patients, I would never make it home on time. I would also carry that emotional weight when I came home. Some people who say they are “Empaths” believe they have to – I’m saying that you don’t. A provider can understand but does not need to be sucked into the hurt or sadness.
Even if I don’t have the same life experience as my patients, every “provider” Friend or family member can develop this emotional strength of Empathy. Any person, with practice, can possibly understand another without being sucked in or weighed down. This is a common misunderstanding in mental health.
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