Dr. Iyer listens to Rohan, who has recently lost his father. She tries to see the loss from Rohan's side and feels his grief as he feels it. Identify the quality Dr. Iyer shows and what it does to the therapeutic relationship.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Empathy; it enriches the relationship and turns it into a healing relationship
Option (1) Intellectual understanding; it lets the client unburden her/his problems to the therapist — Incorrect. Intellectual understanding is cold: the person knows the situation but neither feels like the other nor feels sympathy. Dr. Iyer does feel Rohan's grief. Unburdening comes from the high level of trust in the relationship.
Option (2) Sympathy; it makes the relationship a trusting and confiding one — Incorrect. Sympathy is compassion and pity for another's suffering, but the person cannot feel like the other person. Dr. Iyer feels what Rohan feels, so this is more than sympathy. Trust and confiding come from the relationship itself.
Option (3) Unconditional positive regard; it keeps the relationship a professional one — Incorrect. Unconditional positive regard means not judging the client and keeping the same warm feelings even if the client is rude. Dr. Iyer is feeling Rohan's grief. Being professional is a separate property of the relationship.
Option (4) Empathy; it enriches the relationship and turns it into a healing relationship — Correct. Seeing things from Rohan's side and feeling his grief as he feels it is empathy. Empathy enriches the therapeutic relationship and turns it into a healing one.
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