The Importance of Empathy

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Loneliness affects approximately one in six people worldwide.

An empathic witness is someone who listens with care without rushing to judge or fix a problem.

When someone shares a struggle many of us feel an immediate urge to help solve it.

I credit my second-grade teacher for giving me my first vivid memory of being listened to.

After an injustice on the playground Mrs. Bennett pulled me aside, looked at me with compassion, and said, "Tell me everything that happened. Slowly."

She let me ramble on for what felt like an hour, although it was probably 15 or 20 minutes.

Today I could not tell you what happened on the playground. I don’t recall if the kids involved were reprimanded. What I remember feeling is that something had been righted after Mrs. Bennett's intervention.

She seemed to do nothing and everything at the same time.

She extended empathy.

She served as my empathic witness.

My intense emotions settled. I felt heard, supported, and less alone.

An empathic witness is someone who listens with care and makes room for another person’s experience, without rushing to judge or fix the problem. The presence of an empathic witness communicates what happened to you matters and I am willing to hear about........

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