week 6 response 1 dq1 449

Alejandra Gutierrez Arana

Class,

According to the Merriam-Webster article, empathy is imagining or understanding one’s feelings, without having personally felt those feelings (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Showing empathy with a client may help them feel understood and accepted. Empathy allows the worker to build rapport as well as understand and communicate better with the client (Gerance, n.d.). A few strategies to successfully demonstrate empathy include active listening, recognizing their emotions, restating their problem, positive body language, and eye contact. These influence the engagement process by improving outcomes of treatment plans (Gerdes & Segal, 2011). 

References

Gerdes, K. E., & Segal, E. (2011, April 1). Importance of empathy for Social Work Practice: Integrating new science. OUP Academic. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://academic.oup.com/sw/article-abstract/56/2/141/1882569?redirectedFrom=fulltext 

Gerace, A. (n.d.). The Power of Empathy. APS. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://psychology.org.au/for-members/publications/inpsych/2018/october-issue-4/the-power-of-empathy 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Sympathy vs. empathy: What's the difference? Merriam-Webster. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/sympathy-empathy-difference?msclkid=23dc80cdcff111ecb8fa92170b7facd7