Self-Reflection Paper: Empathy

Counseling Skills: Self Reflection Assessment Paper Empathy Skills in Counseling

The last important aspect I derive from this counseling skill module evolve around the topic of empathy skills in a counseling set up.

The requirement and usefulness for empathy in a counseling setting is obvious. What is not as clear to me at this point is (anymore), is what empathy really is, and in turn how to assess it, and most importantly weather or not I possess this skill.

Quiet frankly, the most mind boggling thought to me is that; I had in fact considered myself an empathic person by nature. It is in fact one of the rather few positive attributes of mine I could come up with in an instant. But is that really the case? At this point, I seriously want to reconsider, potentially even question this "self proclaimed" skill of mine.

What is empathy? I believe it is the ability to sense another persons emotional state. So, what made me believe that I have an empathy skill.

I have a natural way of approaching interpersonal situations through reflection. For example, when a person reacts unexpectedly or even upsettingly towards me or someone else, I tend to ask myself what that person might actually experience at this point. I usually come up with several hypothesis based around different information I have about this person. That includes the other persons nature, current state of mind (that includes broad, obvious type of "energy levels" such stress, tiredness, excitement, anger and so forth) and personal experiences. I then play through those potential hypothesis by asking "how would I feel in this particular situation". I sometimes find myself going as far as to asking "how would I feel about this if I was a very different person than I actually am (for example an overly self absorbed person). In the end., I usually end up with a handful of reasonable conclusions about that other persons emotional state as well as about the initially unexpected behavior. I'm usually not so far off with those assumptions.

Counseling Skills: Self Reflection Assessment Paper I'm well aware that this intrinsic interpersonal assessment method of mine (I don't dare referring to it as empathy at this point) has vast potential for errors. Those include obstructions through my personal mindset (especially in case of strong emotions such as fear or anger), prejudgments as well as occasional lack of time or capacity to even engage in this process reasonably.

Nevertheless, being a "interpersonal relationship oriented", highly sensitive, emotional and analytically person, used to provide me with a great potential to connect with, and understand others.

But is that empathy? Does it actually make me pick up other persons feelings? Or merely, assess them through some sort of analytical algorithm.

Moreover, after this lesson, I found myself wondering how effective this method of mine really is. It certainly tends to work for close friends, family or acquaintances. But does it work on a complete stranger? Someone I do not have any type of background information on? It should, if I had in fact a strong empathy skill (as I thought I had), doesn't it?

Well, if that would be the way of assessing empathy, then after this lesson I have to believe that I don't. In fact, I had barely been able to pick up my opponents feelings in different role play settings. Or was it just coincidence that day? Or that my role play partner hadn't actually been in a very emotional state all together? And do I have some basic empathy skills after all? Is it good enough to pursue a role as a counselor? And if so, will I be able to improve them overtime? It' certainly a most favorable skill to have or acquire.

Quiet frankly I'm not able to answer any of these thoughts at this point. I instead intent to further observe my empathy skills from these new considerations in mind. I believe I'll be able to come to a reasonable conclusion in the end, which I intent to take into consideration during the course of this program and while deciding about becoming a counselor myself.