compassion, empathy?

How do these differ and how are they required in friendshiip and therapy?

That one is kinda deep fuzz, I think that compassion is an active display of caring about people in general or specific individuals, compassion is that part of the spirit that wants to reach out and pull you out of whatever mess you may be in, whether its emotional, financial, spirtual, or physical.

Empathy is the ability to relate to how someone feels. Empathy comes from an understanding of what another has is going through at a given time and to tune your understranding to their's.

To have a meaningful relationship to another person in any capacity requires both things to be present. I deep emotional understanding of the other person and willingness to act out of love for them on their behalf.

Its not a great answer but I am a bit groggy from a long day, I hope this helps

take care my bear,

TJ

((Fuzzy))

To me compassion is kindness and open heartedness towards others, particularly if they are experiencing problems or adversity in their lives.

Empathy would be the ability to feel along with someone-- to experience their feelings as if they were yours.

I think that both qualities would be important in both friendships and the therapeutic relationship. Certainly, empathy is the cornerstone of the therapeutic relationship and compassion can't be far behind.

Peace

((((((((((((Fuzzybear))))))))))))))
I agree with what MissCharlotte said.

To me, compassion is the awareness that we all suffer and wanting to help those one feels empathy toward :-)

Empathy is understanding, being aware of, and being sensitive to the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another at a particular point in time because one recognizes similar/common feelings, thoughts or experience in one's self.

So, I might feel compassion for children starving in Africa but probably only empathy when I see the skinny teenage boy down the block who never seems to get enough to eat living with his single mom on welfare. I grew up with 3 brothers and have 3 stepsons and know how hungry teenage boys get and how expensive they can be to feed :-)

An act of compassion could be sending money to an aid organization who will help the kids in Africa or finding odd jobs the kid down the street can do that take awhile so I can feed him a couple sandwiches and homemade cookies for lunch as well as pay him a few bucks :-)

For me, the empathy is more immediate than the compassion but the compassion's desire to help informs the empathy.

The empathy I feel for a friend (like the skinny kid or his mother) makes sure I don't embarrass or insult them when offering compassion. I think of a job the boy can do rather than hurting his or his mother's pride by offering food or money straight out to his mother, implying his mother isn't a good mother because she can't afford to feed the boy all he would like to eat. I think one of the reasons Free Cycle seems to work is because everyone gets to feel good and share what they have.

In therapy, hopefully a therapist listens with empathy. You cannot buy good listening. One pays for a therapist's time but, as we all know, there are "good" therapists and there are hacks selling their time :-) It is quality of the skills, the personhood of the therapist, their being "there" with you in your pain and struggle, that is being offered as an act of compassion. They too have usually been in therapy and know what it is like to be where we sit in the client's chair. Hard work and respectful attendance is what we offer the therapist in return. We share with them our struggle and allow them beside us as we work our way forward. Again, as we all know, the people we allow "inside" is very small and it is a wonderful gift we give when we share ourselves with our therapists in the act of therapy.

Excellent question (((((((((((((( Fuzzy ))))))))))))))))

I think that most times, empathy and compassion run hand in hand.

Here is a great explanation of empathy -

the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another

And here is a great explanation of compassion -

the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it

I think that both of these qualities should be a huge part of a good and deep friendship. Do some therapist have those qualities in their practice? Most definitely. Do some not? Probably.

For myself, I am very satisfied if my therapist has compassion. I don't think my therapist would neccissarily need to be empathetic because my feelings are my own and I don't expect someone else to feel them. But I do expect my therapist to be compassionate, for in that compassion I can learn and grow.


sabby

Deep question, Fuzzwad!

You've got some pretty good answers, too! Even though Tim said he was groggy, I liked his answer best.

Lots of good answers and definitions here.

Empathy is the ability to understand what it would feel like to feel like another person feels, while still recognizing the difference between understanding what they feel and actually being in their situation yourself. You can have empathy without actually feeling their feelings yourself.

Compassion is the desire to help others.

Empathy is one of the very first and most important things that is taught to students learning to be counselors or therapists. It is essential to be able to understand where someone else is coming from, and still not to lose yourself in their feelings. Compassion motivates therapists to want to help, and is a good thing, but therapists have to be cautious about their compassion and make sure that what they do to try to help is actually in the client's best interest and doesn't encourage too much dependence or other unhealthy behaviors.

Empathy tends to be the basis for good relationships of any kind. Who doesn't need to feel understood? Compassion helps us to look past each other's faults and to forgive and understand that people do the best that they can. Compassion is important in relationships, but again with the caution that we support others and help them in healthy ways that allow them to grow and be strong and become themselves. We need to give what others need to receive, not always what we want to give. And the reverse is true also. We need to receive what is offered, not hold out or reject what is offered because we want something else.

((((((((rap))))))))))
missed you

Thank you all xo