Counseling Corner
This week we are focusing on empathy. Empathy is connecting with people so we know we’re not alone when we’re in struggle. Empathy is a way to connect to the emotion another person is experiencing; it doesn’t require that we have experienced the same situation they are going through. You don’t need to fix it or make people feel better. Connecting and listening is powerful. People often confuse sympathy with empathy. The difference is, sympathy is I feel bad FOR you while empathy is I feel WITH you. Sympathy can make us feel more alone while empathy helps us feel connected.
Applying This Concept At Home: Empathy Everyday!
Watch the following video with your child and discuss what empathy is (and isn't) as well as 'empathy misses' (or times that we think we're being supportive and really aren't). Empathy misses sometimes sound like the friend who responds with sympathy (“I feel so sorry for you”) rather than empathy which sounds like (“I get it, I feel with you, and I’ve been there”). There is at least one example of an empathy miss in the video, see if you can spot it! Discuss times when someone extended empathy to you or times that you were empathetic to others' situations and the feelings associated with those experiences.