Being Empathic: A Companion For Counsellors And... May 2026

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.

The rain drummed a steady, rhythmic beat against the window of Leo’s small practice. On his desk sat a well-worn copy of It wasn't just a textbook to him; it was a map he consulted when the fog of other people’s pain became too thick to see through. Being Empathic: a Companion for Counsellors and...

By the time Sarah left, the rain had turned to a drizzle. She wasn't "cured," but her knuckles were no longer white. Leo looked back at the book on his desk

He took a breath, anchoring himself in his chair. He didn't mirror her anxiety; he provided a container for it. On his desk sat a well-worn copy of

Sarah’s shoulders dropped an inch. "I feel like I'm screaming underwater," she whispered. "Everyone tells me to just swim to the surface, but I don't know which way is up."