Empathy and What It Means — Assessment

Feeling with someone / perspective-taking Fixing someone’s problem for them Agreeing with everything said Judging quietly

“What I’m hearing is…, did I get that right?” “Calm down.” “Here’s what you should do.” “At least…”

Offering care within your capacity Absorbing all emotions Avoiding people in pain Rescuing immediately

Rushing to advice / solutions Checking for understanding Open questions Silence for processing

Name the emotion and validate it Change the subject Explain why it’s wrong Mock it gently

Imagining their world and constraints Making it about your story Debating facts only Correcting tone first

“I want to support you. I have 30 minutes now—what would help?” “Not my problem.” “Text me 24/7.” “Stop crying.”

Ask open, non-leading questions Guess and move on Quote statistics only Correct grammar first

“I hear how heavy this is. I’m here with you.” “At least others have it worse.” “You should be grateful.” “Why are you like this?”

Practice, feedback, and self-care Avoiding hard topics Fixing everyone Never reflecting