Our experience of the world and life is associated with our sense of ‘self’, which
begins to grow in the preverbal period through the child’s primary relationships with
his/her parents. Such relationships should be optimal and full of true, genuine and
deep contact, marked with a parent’s empathic responsiveness. Empathic parents
encourage positive development, while lack of empathy is many times associated
with dysfunctional patterns of behaviour in later life. Empathy is a critical factor
for the healthy development of a
child, especially for the growth of a
creative
and genuine sense of ‘self’, which in adulthood is essential for a healthy and
vibrant personality, one who is capable of coping with life and living empathic
relationships. Empathy in the narrowest sense of the word is the ability to share and
comprehend the feelings and thoughts of another, e.g. the ability to have insight
into experiencing. In a broader sense, it is the basic dynamics of relationships that
fully enable us to feel safe and accepted with others and thereby give us space for
growth and development
