Learning How to Talk

It's so interesting for me to read about the importance of professionals in the health field - both medical and psychological - learning how to be empathic with their patients (See my blog post, Physicians Learn How to Speak, 1/8/08). One would think that people enter this field because they are empathic to begin with!

Unfortunately, the training that one undertakes to become licensed can actually undermine one's ability to empathize and care about others.

Students in doctoral programs or medical school learn the techniques and the analytical tools; they amass information and learn how and when to apply it. But along the way, in order to graduate, they may need to be so focused and strong that their feelings get buried along the way.

Thank G-d, compassion is returning to the forefront of the health services field.

Indeed, research at Massachusetts General Hospital indicates that psychotherapy patients perceived their therapists as more empathic when the professional spoke less and listened more (Harvard Mental Health Letter, February 2008).

Why is this important? Because we all need to learn how to be empathic. After all, how many times have our children complained, "You're not listening to me!"?