ABSTRACT
Background to this inter-view During a diploma group, a counsellor trainee asked me to describe, 'off the cuff so to speak, my process of empathising. The questioner spoke of having learned all about definitions, academic understanding and the theory of empathy (such as the place of empathic understanding within client-centred therapeutic process), and had experienced both the giving and receiving of empathy in personal therapy, in practice sessions and on a client work placement. Yet this trainee was really curious about what actually happens within a therapist when that therapist is engaged in empathising. although I recall feeling somewhat 'put on the spot', there was also a simultaneous experiencing of curiosity as my mind engaged with the quality of the question, followed by the thought that it deserved a full and honest answer. So . . . I took a deep breath and spoke. A dynamic dialogue ensued, in which questioners were encouraged to reflect upon their own experiencing, with further questions being put by group members, which in turn triggered further exploration, clarification and ideas.
