Empathy: An Integral Model in Clinical Social Work (2025)

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Volume 65 Issue 2 April 2020
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Arthur J Clark ,

Arthur J Clark

St. Lawrence University

, Canton, NY

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Carrie M Butler

Carrie M Butler

School of Social Work

, College of Liberal and Applied Arts, Stephen F. Austin State University, The Woodlands, TX

Address correspondence to Carrie M. Butler, Stephen F. Austin State University, 3232 College Park Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77384; e-mail: [emailprotected].

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Social Work, Volume 65, Issue 2, April 2020, Pages 169–177, https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/swaa009

Published:

08 April 2020

Article history

Received:

28 December 2018

Revision received:

03 April 2019

Revision requested:

23 April 2019

Accepted:

23 April 2019

Published:

08 April 2020

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Abstract

Empathy has held a vital and enduring standing in the theory and practice of clinical social work. Defining and conceptualizing empathy is a continuing challenge in social work and across the human services. A multitude of definitions of empathy exist in the therapeutic literature, creating confusion relating to research findings and treatment processes. Recent trends emphasize an overarching and expansive way of conceiving empathic understanding in the therapeutic relationship and informing treatment practice. Multiple perspectives of empathy facilitate a broad and wide-ranging engagement of the practitioner and the client in the therapeutic process. With significant implications for clinical social workers, an integral model capitalizes on the engagement of empathy from multiple ways of knowing: subjective, objective, and interpersonal. Numerous clinical examples illustrate applications of the tripartite model in social work practice. The integral empathy model is amenable to research and training across therapeutic contexts in social work and related fields.

© 2020 National Association of Social Workers

This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)

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