Do Christian Counselors Show More Empathy Toward Christian Clients Than Secular Clients? An Examination of the Relations Between Counselors’ Empathy and Counselor–Client Similarity in Christian Commitment

Abstract

This study investigated the association between counselors’ Christian beliefs and their counseling. One hundred fifty-eight participants, including 13 counselors and 145 counselors-in-training who were assessed for levels of Christian commitment, were randomly assigned to view one of two versions of a videotape (i.e., a client with or without Christian commitment) and respond in writing to the client’s problem. Two trained raters (i.e., a licensed counselor and an advanced counseling intern) evaluated counselors’ levels of empathy. Counselors with low and high levels of Christian commitment showed similar levels of empathy for non-Christian and Christian clients, while counselors with moderate levels of Christian commitment showed more empathy for Christian clients. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.