(Friedman D)

Title: Empathy: How Does It Help Us Relate To Others and What Is Its Role in Medicine?

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Authors: Donald M. Friedman MD

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"So how does one show empathic listening to another person?

Here are the guidelines that Madelyn Burley-Allen sets out in her book, Listening, the Forgotten Skill:

1. Be attentive, interested, alert, and not distracted. Be positive through non-verbal behavior.

2. Be a sounding board – allow the speaker to bounce ideas and feeling off you while assuming a non-judgmental non-critical manner.

3. Don’t ask a lot of questions.

4. Act like a mirror – reflect back what you think the speaker is saying and feeling.

5. Don’t discount the speaker’s feelings by using phrases like “You’ll feel better tomorrow”.

6. Don’t let the speaker get you angry, upset, or involved in an argument.

7. Indicate you are listening by:

a. Providing brief responses like “I see”.

b. Giving non-verbal acknowledgements such as head nodding and eye contact

c. Invitations to say more such as “Tell me about that”.

8. Follow good listening rules: don’t interrupt, change the subject, interrogate, teach, give advice.

9. Do reflect back to the speaker what you understand and how you think the speaker feels."

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Posted By: Edwin Rutsch

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