Pick up any old dictionary and have a look at what the meaning of empathy gives you. Do this and you’ll most probably find they all give a similar definition, something like, ‘the ability to understand and share the feelings of other people’. Having a read over the suggested article on what empathy really is and whether or not it can be taught, implies that empathy is a much deeper emotion then what most people realize. If empathy is as intricate and complex as described, and a practitioner was expected to show empathy towards every unfortunate patient, that would make for one hell of an emotional day, 5 days a week. Now look, I’m not saying you should stand there and treat a patient with an emotional well as dry as a rusk, but you should consider your own emotional safety and stability before you can assist others with their problems.
As a physiotherapist we will often be dealing with people that have experienced psychological problems and emotional changes and discomfort as a result of physical trauma and debilitating diseases. Often, patients will ask questions about their condition and share thoughts and emotions if they feel a sense of trust. Would it not be a wiser choice to keep emotional ties between patient and practitioner more superficial? Instead of trying to connect emotionally by taking on the burden of their problems, rather motivate the patient and lift them up into a more positive mind set. If they are having emotional difficulty, yes, talk to them and try to reason with them to find a possible solution to the problem that can result in a positive outcome, while still keeping somewhat of an emotional barrier. Clinical psychologists and social workers were introduced for a reason and are part of the interdisciplinary team and are available for such problems. These practitioners are trained in the art of dealing with human emotion and should be utilized. I believe that showing empathy in the way that any common dictionary describes it is a great way to deal with patients who are worried about issues related to their condition. However, patients with more intense issues should be referred to an appropriate practitioner.
Can empathy be taught? In my opinion, the concept of empathy can be explained, but whether a person chooses to make use of the emotion is entirely up to them.
Stay Classy
Professional Ethics for Physiotherapy 
Hi Jarryd. Nice post. I think you’re right when you say that we shouldn’t take on the emotional and psychological burdens of patients. There are definitely other members of the MDT who are more qualified. However, I should clarify that empathising with someone doesn’t mean that you take on their baggage. You’re absolutely correct when you say that this would be an almost impossible task for any health care professional.
Instead, you should think of empathy as a way of trying to understand where the patient is coming from. If they tell you that they don’t feel well and that they’d prefer not to come to the gym today, instead of thinking, “This is a lazy patient”, empathising would mean trying to understand where they’re coming from. Are they really feeling sick? If they are, is it reasonable to get them out of bed? If you do convince them to go to the gym, how hard will you push them?
Of course there are patients who just don’t want to get out of bed. But let’s assume that most patients actually want to improve so that they can go home. Isn’t it more likely that they really are feeling sick? Empathy isn’t about trying to feel sick with them. It’s about trying to modify your professional practice to take their emotional and psychological state into consideration, rather than just their physical state.
Empathy isn’t about “being” emotional, it’s about trying to understand emotions.
Thanks Michael, yes I fully agree. It’s about trying to find the cause of additional psychological problems by developing the ability as a practitioner to pick up emotional signs of a problem in order to assist in the overall healing of the patient, both mentally and physically.