Empathy: A mode of analytic listening

Understanding Empathy as a Complex Construct: A Review of the Literature

“…Some of these define empathy more narrowly, as a ''pre-condition'' of more centrally influential attitudes or ''conditions'' such as commitment and understanding (Shlien 1999), or as a background facilitator of the therapeutic alliance (Horvath 2006). In the middle are those who describe empathy as the primary vehicle for change in therapy, but speak for distinguishing empathic inquiry from modes of affective responsiveness (Kohut 1984;Martin and Dawda 1999;MacIsaac 1999;Schwaber 1984;Trop and Stolorow 1999). Others advocate for defining therapeutic empathy as operationally inseparable from other essential relationship conditions such as genuineness and positive regard (Bohart et al 2002;Bohart and Greenberg 1999a;Bozarth 1999;Bozarth 2009).…”

“…With increasing influence by post-modern and feminist perspectives and sensibilities, the therapeutic relationship and empathy have become more ''foregrounded'' in allied practice professions as well (Angus and Kagan 2007;Bachelor 1988;Benjamin 1988;Horowitz 1998;Kohut 1978;Stolorow and Atwood 1992). Empathy has become widely accepted as a key element in therapeutic action (Kohut 1984;Barrett-Lennard 1981;Bohart et al 2002;Raines 1990;Schwaber 1984;Watson and Greenberg 2009), with findings from outcome research supporting this (Greenberg et al 2001;Mohr 1995). Although empathy has been increasingly accepted as central to therapeutic process, the ''how to do it'' has remained less well articulated (Hayes 1997).…”

Ways of Knowing in Psychoanalysis

“…This latter sense is closer to what Kohut (1959) meant when he was concentrating on empathy as a vicariously in trospective epistemic process, rather than a heavy, theory-laden notion with etiologic and diagnostic considerations. Schwaber (1981Schwaber ( , 1983) is probably the most consistent articulator of a more phenomenologic, empathically-derived notion of psychic reality as a proto self psychological notion. In accepting and trusting the (self-reported) psychic experience of the other as an epistemic given, without the analyst imposing his own emendations (inter preting it, consensually validating it, etc.)…”

“…In this vein, there have been various praxis oriented techniques that have at tempted to focus exclusively on the 'inner universe' of the psychoanalytic situation. The emphasis may be that of the patient's subjective psychic reality (Schwaber, 1981(Schwaber, , 1983: or that of the analysis of transference dynamics (Gill, 1979). Whatever the treatment merits of these kinds of purist intra-clinical approaches, it is probably the case that from an epistemological point of view consensual, extraclinical reality 517…”

Some Limits and Hazards of Empathy

“…leads to theoretical con fusion." Schwaber (1984) also emphasizes separating empathy as a mode of listening and gathering data from the technical position following it. Moses (1988) and Book (1988) consider the misuse of empathy which follows some supposed empathie experience with a patient.…”