ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about empathy in relation to psychotherapy. The process of therapy includes numerous pragmatic issues such as scheduling, payment, and dealing with tardiness or missed appointments, as well as the actual conversations between therapist and patient. The therapists are responsible not only for developing empathetic relationships with their patients but also for being role models of empathy and contributing to mental health care systems based on empathy. Therapeutic work on relationships often increases motivation to attend to others' perspectives and needs. Improved psychological boundaries and perspective-taking abilities improve cognitive aspects of empathy. Attachment-focused therapies often result in stronger emotional connections with others. Admittedly, public understanding of mental health issues has improved in recent years. The stigma associated with suffering from depression, an anxiety disorder, or another mental health issue has decreased over time, and people suffering from these conditions face less discrimination than they did in the past.
