ABSTRACT
Empathy is considered a foundational concept to establishing therapeutic relationships. Without empathy, there is no basis for appreciating the client perspective and responding in ways that result in favourable health outcomes. In the psychiatric nursing context, the aim of the nurse–client relationship are to (a) initiate supportive interpersonal communication in order to understand the needs of the other person, (b) empower the other person to learn or cope more effectively with their environment, and (c) reduce or resolve the problems of another person. To facilitate satisfactory and productive outcomes for clients, it is essential for nurses to empathize with accuracy. This chapter describes the multidimensional nature of empathy and differentiates it from similar concepts, such as sympathy and caring. The role of empathy, as well as its measure, are also described.
