Is There Room for Empathy?

I regularly conduct trainings for legal professionals on trauma-informed interviewing. In my presentation, I always include a slide on empathy. What is empathy, and why is it important?

One of the slides includes studies on the importance of empathy among medical professionals and therapists. I highlight two studies. One showed that patients who considered their doctors empathic were more likely to adhere to treatment recommendations, experience positive clinical outcomes, and have fewer complications. The other showed that empathy, warmth, and the therapeutic relationship correlate with treatment outcomes, even when compared with specialized treatment interventions.

I am not saying that specialized treatment interventions are unimportant or should not be used to treat specific mental health disorders. But in our data-driven world, which has infiltrated our therapy spaces, how do we account for empathy, kindness, nonjudgment, and warmth?

I want to feel cared about, and I want my clients to feel cared about. I want them to know that I am invested in their lives and their problems. That is what the importance of the therapeutic relationship means to me. It is not measurable through assessments of depression or anxiety, and that is what insurance companies miss: the importance of human connection and kindness.

Let’s make sure we don’t lose that.