http://time.com. (2018). Retrieved from http://time.com/4126238/mother-teresas-crisis-of-faith/

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another (“Definition of empathy in English by Oxford Dictionaries”, 2018).

I chose a picture of Mother Teresa because when I think of  the definition of the word ’empathy” an image of her appears in my mind.  It’s an  image of her doing good, somewhere, where it’s most needed. And this photograph happens to capture perfectly, one of her most endearing and renowned qualities – her unending empathy.

Empathy is an important concept associated with positive outcomes for healthcare practitioners and their patients (Scott, 2018). In a systematic review of the literature, Di Blasi, Harkness, Ernst, Georgiou and Kleijnen (2001) found that the health care practitioners who adopt a warm, friendly and reassuring manner are perceived as more effective than those who keep consultations emotionless and formal.

I chose the concept Empathy seeing as it has played a key role in most of my clinical experiences, good and bad. I have also always considered myself to be an empathetic individual as I take great pride in my ability to not only feel for others, but feel with them.

Below is an example of one of my clinical experiences:

During our final clinical block at Eerste River Hospital I was assigned a 55 year old female inpatient. The patient was presenting with hemiplegia, confusion and seizures (the patient did not suffer from epilepsy) with an unknown diagnosis. The patient had a history of a previous cerebral vascular accident (CVA) five years ago, as well as high blood pressure, so her doctors assumed it was another CVA. During our first session, I performed passive movements on the lower limbs and had the patient do active assisted exercises for the upper limbs. The patient had 5 seizures during this session. Besides ensuring that her environment and surroundings are not harmful, there was not much I could do. The patient pulled on her diaper and the sheets while having the seizures, so I gave her my hand to squeeze while patiently waiting them out with her. While calmly telling her that she can squeeze as hard as she wanted. After each seizure she seemed tired and hopeless. So, I paused the session and sat down next to her bed. She started crying, saying how she hopes and prays that she gets better. She said she was scared and that she felt insecure about the fate of her future.

And in that moment, what could I have possibly said or promised that would have lifted this patient’s spirits? Nothing.

How could I have promised anything whilst not having a proper diagnosis?

So, instead, I just sat there and listened. I just held her hand and listened, I fought back the tears and I didn’t break eye contact. When she was finished talking, I looked at her and all I said was (in Afrikaans as it was the patient’s home language) “Ek verstaan. Ek weet mevrou is moeg, ek kan dit sien. En ek hoop en bid rerig dat die pad vorentoe net makliker sal raak vir mevrou.”

There were a few brief seconds of silence, before she thanked and blessed me in the most genuine and grateful manner I had ever experienced.  This all happened simply because I cared enough to sit down and feel with her. And to this day, I will never forget how real this moment was.

After this beautiful moment, we continued with our session and it was as if the patient was more motivated to do the exercises than she had been before. It was as if my empathy and kindness inspired her to not only do her part, but do it enthusiastically! Could it be that the patient was subconsciously trying to repay me through her enthusiasm and  cooperation? Whatever the case, something changed in my patient that day.

(And this experience was not the first time my empathetic and warm approach had a favourable outcome!)

These experiences have proven that I, as as future physiotherapist, should not only tend to parestehsia, hypoaesthesia, anaesthesia, but should also treat emotions and feelings such as abandonment, hopelessness and fear. It is clear that when you show deep and honest empathy toward others, their defense mechanisms fade away and are replaced by positive reactions and thinking.

This is where the real magic happens!

Reference list

empathy | Definition of empathy in English by Oxford Dictionaries. (2018). Retrieved from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/empathy

http://time.com. (2018). Retrieved from http://time.com/4126238/mother-teresas-crisis-of-faith/

Scott, H. (2018). Retrieved from http://research.gold.ac.uk/6704/1/PSY_thesis_Scott_2011.pdf