Practicing Subjective, Objective, and Empathic Responses
Step 1
Turn over the picture.
Write down your immediate responses about the person in the picture.
Do not think! Simply repond to what you see.
You should phrase your responses as if you are talking to the person.
Leave space after each response you write.
Step 2
Carefully observe the person in the picture.
Write down several sentences in which you describe what you see in the picture (e.g., facial expressions, physical characteristics, body language, and the setting).
You should phrase your responses as if you are talking to the person.
Leave space after each response you write.
Step 3
Look at your picture again and imagine that you are the person in the picture.
Working from your imagination as the person in the picture, answer these questions:
· How do you feel? (I feel . . . )
· What are your thoughts, anxieties, intentions, etc? (I think . . . . I worry about . . . . I intend to . . . .)
Write several sentences that describe your feelings and emotions. Be sure to write these sentences from the perspective of the person in the picture.
Leave space after each response you write.
Step 4
Return to each of the responses you have written (Steps 1-3).
Once again, “become” the person in the picture.
Working from the perspective of the person in the picture, explain the effect(s) of each different response (Steps 1-3) on you.
Write the next piece of dialogue/conversation you would say after each response.
Step 5
Write an example of each of the Empathic Responses you have learned about:
Responding / Verifying / Validating / Suggesting