can some one who is saying what they learned in counselling training realy empathic.
2007-02-20 06:37:18 · 6 answers · asked by firefly 1 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
The skills you learn in counselling training is not on how to be empathic , I believe that that is a natural feeling a person has, but on how to use this empathy to best help those in your care.
If you have no empathy to start with then no amount of training will develop it or you to the point of being a good counsellor. Most people who are empathic have to be taught how not to let it controll them .
2007-02-20 08:20:38 · answer #1 · answered by bluegirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Are you refering to the metaphysical ( sci-fi) version of the word empathy or the dictionary definition?
The sci-fi version would be a person that feels everything the other person is feeling as if they are IN the other person's experience and they also have some "mind reading" capabilities.
And YES there are people this tuned in to other people that they can pull thoughts out of another. Brain activity is electrical. Brain death is when their are no longer electricl impulses in our brains. Electricity is energy and energy goes on forever like a wave or radio signal. Some people are senstive enough to receive signals from others. We all are to the extent that we are open to it.
The dictionary Empathy is when a person understands what someone else is going through even if they do not agree (sympathize) with their situation.
Every person has the ability to become more empathetic. They can learn to read body language and listen to word patterns to decipher what the other person is experiencing. Just ask a mom with a new baby. In each other's company and without verbal skills from both people, the mom and baby have enire "conversations" about what is going on, what they need, what they like, what they dislike, hunger, discomfort, boredom etc.
Check out a class on NLP- neurolinguistic programming. It's fascinating.
And as far as how you can tell true empathy, try this, ask your friend to describe what it is you are going through as if they are in your body looking out of your eyes. They will either know or they won't.
2007-02-20 06:55:32 · answer #2 · answered by Mimi Di 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Empathy is the ability to imagine what it's like to be in another person's mind...perceptions, thoughts, feelings, values, attitudes...mostly feelings. Nothing sci-fi or paranormal about it. It's the ability to put together what you hear with what you see...verbals and nonverbals, and draw accurate conclusions. They seem to know pretty well what another person is going though.
You can tell when a person's being empathetic with you when they say things that ring true to your own thoughts and feelings.
No, the scripts and procedures you learn in counseling don't make you empathetic. You have to make a special effort, in effect, it's a mental skill.
2007-02-20 07:36:59 · answer #3 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You would just have to use all your senses to know if that person is empathetic. Watching, listening, and look them in the eyes. A counsellor who has trained wanted to become one to help others in the first place, so they are empathetic before you even walk into the room.
2007-02-20 11:32:10 · answer #4 · answered by djdundalk 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and no. Anyone can lie, just as can you about, for example, a problem, in order to illicit some form of sympathy from someone.
How can you tell 'true' .... anything from anyone! Someone standing up in court, under oath, need not be telling the truth, need not be telling a lie, either.
Sash.
2007-02-20 08:29:22 · answer #5 · answered by sashtou 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess you could learn, after all your learn from family and friends as you grow up, so I guess you can learn through counselling
2007-02-21 23:22:01 · answer #6 · answered by Lassie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋