I don't really mind my therapist's tricks. Sometimes I give her crap about them, which she accepts good-naturedly. She does a thing that I call Empathy Eyes™ that I actually kinda like. I think we all have techniques for showing our concern. Maybe it's more natural for other people than it is for me, but when my spouse or a friend is upset, I am thinking on some level about the appropriate way to show that I am listening and that I care, either with a hug or a statement of validation or a well-timed "argh!" of shared frustration. It doesn't mean that I don't actually feel anything for them or what they're telling me.