In the context of psychotherapy,why is empathy such an important aspect of the therapeutic alliance?

Question

Just wanted some ideas thanks.

Answer 1

Because it's precious for clients when they get that their feelings are heard, understood and accepted. They feel empowered instead of disempowered, and listened to instead of told what they should do. It opens a door through which they can hear, understand and accept themselves. They begin to trust their own feelings nad their own discernmen. And then they can choose to experiment with changes in themselves when they are ready.

Answer 2

The ability of the counselor to empathize with the client is one of the six conditions that Rogers conceptualized and specified ... to be both necessary and sufficient for therapeutic client change to occur.

Rogers hypothesized that these six conditions apply to all psychotherapy, not just to client-centered therapy.
These conditions require counselor congruence or genuineness in the therapeutic relationship, unconditional positive regard for the client (warmth), the ability of the counselor to empathize with the client in this relationship, and communication of empathy and unconditional positive regard to the client.

Of the conditions defined by Rogers as both necessary and sufficient, empathy is the construct that has evoked the most attention from psychotherapy theorists and researchers.

Answer 3

Patients are usually there because they are addicted to their negative thought patterns. Therefore they like others to make them feel that they are ok. Therefore they keep coming back and it is good for business. This does not apply to all therapists of course, but if they are needed much past the second or third visit you can bet it does. A hard pill to take, I know.

Answer 4

Empathy is the key to therapeutic relationships, building up trust and engaging with people.

Answer 5

How can you help someone if you can't imagine what it is that they are feeling?

When you see a sad movie and cry, why are you crying? Because you can relate somehow to what is happening, you feel empathy. If you didn't feel that way, the movie would lose much of it's meaning to you.

That's why empathy is important in psycholtherapy.