People think being empathetic means sounding like a therapist. It doesn’t. Drop the clinical language and speak from the heart – authenticity beats perfection every time.
The story
You know what’s funny? People think being empathetic means you have to sound like a therapist or use fancy psychology words.
I used to fall into that trap myself. When I first started developing what became Practical Empathy Practice, I’d catch myself using clinical language that made conversations feel stiff and weird. Nobody wants to hear “I’m observing that you seem frustrated” when they’re venting about their day.
The breakthrough came when I realized authenticity beats perfection every time. Chapter 6 of my book tackles this exact issue – how to be genuinely empathetic without sounding like you swallowed a psychology textbook.
Here’s the thing: the four-step process I teach works best when it flows naturally. Instead of saying “I need you to…” try “I’d really value it if…” See the difference? Same concept, but one sounds human.
The magic happens when you stop performing empathy and start living it. I’ve seen people transform their relationships just by dropping the clinical tone and speaking from the heart. Your spouse doesn’t need perfect technique – they need you to actually hear them.
The casual examples in Chapter 6 show how PEP works in real life, not in a counseling session. Because let’s face it – most of our important conversations happen over coffee, not in therapy chairs.
Want to connect better with people? Stop trying to sound like an expert and start sounding like yourself. The authenticity makes all the difference.
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