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

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:

"It feels like everything is moving too fast to catch, doesn't it?" Leo said softly. 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. Leo felt that familiar pull—the urge to jump

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. He didn't mirror her anxiety; he provided a container for it

As the session went on, the "companion" in Leo’s mind reminded him to check his own boundaries. To be meant feeling with her, not becoming her. He felt the weight of her grief, but he kept his feet on the rug of his office. This balance allowed him to stay steady enough to guide her.

Leo looked back at the book on his desk. He realized that being a companion to his clients required him to first be a companion to himself—to understand his own capacity for feeling so that he could keep the door open for others.