title: Positive empathy: a therapeutic skill inspired by positive psychology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Positive empathy (PE), a type of empathy response that focuses on a client's hidden message of desire for a better life, was hypothesized to increase the expression of positive emotions, approach goals, and strengths, and to communicate equivalent understanding when compared to traditional empathy (TE).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 4 hypotheses in 2 studies. In study 1, college participants read therapy session vignettes incorporating PE or TE and then listed the client's strengths and goals and rated the therapist and how well they imagined themselves as the client in the vignettes. In study 2, therapist-client dyads attended 6 weekly sessions that incorporated both PE and TE, after which clients rated therapists' level of empathic understanding and session observers rated clients' emotional responses, revelations of strengths, and goals in response to empathy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both studies, the results of PE and TE were similar, while PE elicited a greater number of approach goals. In study 2, clients expressed more strengths and positive emotions after PE responses than TE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support PE for enhancing client growth (i.e., when a client pursues approach goals, enlists strengths, and experiences positive emotions), which is consistent with the process of positive psychology-informed psychotherapy.
authors: University of California, Santa Barbara.
authors: Collie W
authors: CW
authors: Conoley
authors: University of California, Santa Barbara.
authors: Marla E
authors: ME
authors: Pontrelli
authors: University of California, Santa Barbara.
authors: Mercedes Fernández
authors: MF
authors: Oromendia
authors: University of California, Santa Barbara.
authors: Beatriz
authors: B
authors: Del Carmen Bello
authors: University of California, Santa Barbara.
authors: Chelsea M
authors: CM
authors: Nagata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067656:Optimism / Q000523:psychology; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: approach goals; empathy; positive emotion; positive psychology; strengths