When We Walk in Their Shoes: When is Enough?
- Lynda Savage, M.S., LMFT, LPC
- Series: Dear Rosa
There are many types of empathy. The sort that can momentarily feel another's concern and then step out to one's own perspective is best. A study sometime back showed that nurses who had the genuine empathy then stepping back type of ability performed best in a hospice setting. Those who stepped into the pain of the terminally ill's shoes and carried the other's concerns without stepping back, performed poorly. If you carry another person's pain without allowing room for knowing when to step in and out of that concern, you and your feelings may get in the way.
