ABSTRACT
From the foundations of humanistic and person-centred therapy, empathy and the communication of empathy has been identified as the foundation for effective therapy. The idea that the human relationship is key to supporting someone through the difficult road of unpicking old ways of approaching life and adopting new ones is fundamental to all therapy. In primary care or community services, the self–self relationship is not normally as violently hostile, but users of the service tend to mete out to themselves treatment that would be unthinkable towards a good friend. Improving the self–self relationship lies at the heart of any therapy, whatever the modality. The key concept of felt sense, which registers the unbearable feeling, needs to be thoroughly grasped in order to follow this approach. The true challenge of what it feels like to be that individual can only be gauged by the way in which they manage their internal felt sense.
