Types of Empathy
Life’s challenges can be overwhelming; everyone deserves a space to feel heard and supported. At Roamers Therapy, we provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and evidence-based environments to help you heal, grow, and navigate your mental well-being journey. As your psychotherapist, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Find the Best Therapist in Chicago to Learn more about Empathy
Empathy refers to various behaviors that move people toward mutual support and understanding. It involves understanding a person’s trauma, culture, identities, and personhood to see why they may be experiencing a situation the way they are. Empathy helps build connections with loved ones, partners, friends, and even new connections. It is not a trait but a skill that people get better at the more they practice.
There are various qualities of being empathetic. However, some of the most important characteristics or qualities include:
- Active listening Perspective taking
- Attunement
- Non-judgemental approaches,
- Validation and understanding
- Understanding and acknowledgment of what is unknown
Types of Empathy
Despite what many people might think, there are several types of empathy – like many things; empathy can fall within a spectrum and encapsulate many different behaviors. Types of empathy include:
- Sympathy
- Emotional empathy
- Cognitive empathy
- Physical empathy
- S-xual empathy
Sympathy
Sympathy is not the same as empathy; though many people believe it to be interchangeable. However, sympathy would likely fall on the extreme end of the empathy spectrum. Brené Brown defines sympathy as seeing someone in the dark and turning the light on, whereas empathy would mean sitting in the dark with that person. Examples of sympathy include:
- Feeling sorrow, pitty, or bad for another person
- Giving advice or solutions to someone
- Experiencing another person’s problems through our own lenses.
Emotional Empathy
Emotional empathy refers to the ability to hold space for another person’s emotions and experience the situation through their perspective. Emotional empathy recognizes that while we may not experience the same emotional reaction in a similar situation, we can understand why someone else might. Examples of emotional empathy include:
- Recognizing it takes vulnerability for someone to open up
- Feeling sadness when someone shares their grief
- Feeling joy when someone shares their success
- Understanding when something may be difficult for someone
Cognitive Empathy
Cognitive empathy refers to the ability to understand another person’s thought process and experience the situation through their perspective. Cognitive empathy recognizes that while we may not think the same way as someone else, we all have different learning and thought processes. Examples of cognitive empathy include:
- Understanding why someone may be able to compartmentalize a situation (or not)
- Understand that logic can be subjective
- Understand why someone may feel confused about something
Physical Empathy
Physical empathy refers to the ability to understand another person’s physical behaviors and reactions and experience the situation through their perspective. Physical empathy recognizes that while we may not behave or react the same way as someone else, we all experience body sensations differently. Examples of physical empathy include:
- Seeing someone tense up and recognizing that they may be frustrated or anxious
- Seeing someone shut down and recognizing that they may feel depleted, overstimulated, tired, or sad
- Seeing someone smile and recognize they may be happy
S-xual Empathy
S-xual empathy refers to the ability to understand another person’s s-xual behaviors and reactions and experience the situation through their perspective. S-xual empathy recognizes that we all have different s-xual needs, fantasies, and experiences. Because of this, we may all experience s-x differently. Examples of s-xual empathy include:
- Understanding someone’s s-xual bid attempts
- Recognizing that someone’s reactions during s-x may be a trauma response
- Noticing someone’s reactions, facial expressions, and emotions during s-x as a cue for enjoyment or discomfort
- Creating safe spaces to discuss s-x
- Recognizing where people might have shame about s-x.
Take-Aways
Important points to keep with you about empathy include: Empathy helps create connections with others through mutual support and understanding. There are many ways we can empathize with loved ones. Empathy is a skill we get better at the more that we practice it. Regardless of how we are trying to empathize, empathy involves understanding someone’s personhood to see why they may be experiencing a situation the way they are. If you want to better empathize with loved ones, make sure to:
- Check biases, judgments, and personal opinions
- Remain curious and open to learn
- Refrain from offering advice
- Listen actively and ask questions
At Roamers Therapy, our psychotherapists are here to support you through anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship issues, race-ethnicity issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, ADHD, Autism, or any challenges you encounter. Our psychotherapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gottman Therapy.
Whether you’re seeking guidance on a specific issue or need help navigating difficult emotions, we’re ready to assist you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a session with our mental health professionals to begin your healing journey. To get started with therapy, visit our booking page.
First, decide if you’ll be paying out-of-pocket or using insurance. If you’re a self-pay client, you can book directly through the “Book Now” page or fill out the “Self-Pay/Out-of-network Inquiry Form.” If you’re using insurance, fill out the “Insurance Verification Form” to receive details about your costs and availability. Please let us know your preferred therapist. If your preferred therapist isn’t available, you can join the waitlist by emailing us. Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll receive intake documents to complete before your first session.
This page is also part of the Roamers Therapy Glossary; a collection of mental-health related definitions that are written by our therapists.
While our offices are currently located at the South Loop neighborhood of Downtown Chicago, Illinois, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more. You can visit our contact page to access detailed information on our office location.