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Empathy in professionals and trained lay counsellors : a comparison
1Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College, Vellor - 632 002.
Indian Journal of Psychiatry
|September 20, 2011
Summary
Mental health professionals demonstrated superior empathy compared to lay counselors after training. This study highlights the impact of professional training on developing accurate empathy skills in counseling.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Counseling Studies
Background:
- Empathy is crucial for effective therapeutic relationships.
- Distinguishing empathy levels between trained professionals and lay counselors is important for understanding skill development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the empathy levels of mental health professionals and lay counselors.
- To evaluate the impact of formal training on empathy in counseling.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 12 lay counselors and 12 mental health professionals.
- Utilized a simulated client interview, with 2-minute segments coded and rated using the Accurate Empathy scale.
- Employed a single, trained rater with established inter-rater reliability (r=.36).
Main Results:
- Mental health professionals achieved a significantly higher mean empathy score (6.7) compared to lay counselors (5.0).
- The difference in empathy scores was statistically significant (p=0.02).
Conclusions:
- Professional training in mental health fields is associated with superior empathy.
- Further research may explore specific training components that enhance empathy.
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