Being Empathic: A Companion For Counsellors And... -

He took a breath, anchoring himself in his chair. He didn't mirror her anxiety; he provided a container for it.

Instead of explaining the "mechanics of swimming," Leo simply nodded, letting the silence hold her words. He imagined himself standing in that water with her, not pulling her arm, but just holding a lantern so she wasn't alone in the dark. Being Empathic: a Companion for Counsellors and...

Late that afternoon, Sarah sat across from him. She didn't speak at first. She just gripped her bag, her knuckles white, her eyes darting around the room as if looking for an exit from her own skin. He took a breath, anchoring himself in his chair

Leo felt that familiar pull—the urge to jump in with a solution, to offer a "fix" that would smooth over her trembling hands. But the core lesson of his "companion" echoed in his mind: He imagined himself standing in that water with

By the time Sarah left, the rain had turned to a drizzle. She wasn't "cured," but her knuckles were no longer white.

"It feels like everything is moving too fast to catch, doesn't it?" Leo said softly.