{"id":24157,"date":"2021-01-08T09:17:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T13:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=24157"},"modified":"2021-01-22T19:33:16","modified_gmt":"2021-01-22T23:33:16","slug":"nvc-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/nvc-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"NVC Therapy: Encouraging Empathetic Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is NVC therapy? How does it differ from the clinical, diagnosis-oriented approach? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NVC therapy is a process that encourages empathetic reflection on the part of the practitioner. In contrast, the diagnostic approach is premised on clinical detachment from the patient’s emotional realm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading for more about NVC therapy and how it differs from the clinical approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Using NVC in Therapy Setting<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many people seek out therapy to help tame their inner critic. Today, most therapists are trained in methods that are compatible with NVC, but that wasn\u2019t always the case. Until the mid-20th century, clinical detachment was the cardinal rule of psychotherapy. <\/strong>Therapists were trained to keep their feet firmly planted in the realm of analysis, not empathy, and to think of themselves as a mirror\u2014an inanimate object that reflects clients\u2019 feelings back to them in an organized way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This practice continued until prominent psychologists began to question whether clinical detachment was really the best way to help someone deal with emotional difficulties. They worried that the hierarchical patient\/therapist relationship prevented therapists from being authentically present with their clients, which in turn prevented clients from feeling fully seen and heard. When clients expressed vulnerability, they were met with cool detachment, which often discouraged clients from sharing more. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychology has evolved since that time, and modern graduate programs now train aspiring therapists to respond to their clients with empathy and to focus on feelings instead of analyzing and diagnosing. This isn\u2019t universal\u2014in medical contexts where a particular diagnosis determines treatment options or insurance coverage, psychiatrists and psychologists often spend more time debating diagnoses than empathizing with a person\u2019s feelings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a big difference between the diagnostic mindset and the Nonviolent Communication mindset<\/a>. A psychologist who is focused on diagnosing someone will think in terms of \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with this person?\u201d In the same situation, a psychologist practicing NVC therapy would think, \u201cWhat is this person feeling? What do they need? And which of my<\/em> feelings and needs are being triggered by this situation?\u201d Showing up authentically like this requires the therapist to be vulnerable, which evens out the balance of power in the relationship. <\/strong>Obviously, therapists still need to be careful not to overshare or to take up clients\u2019 time with their own issues, but overall, using NVC in a therapeutic relationship<\/a> is helpful. Making a genuine human connection<\/a> with a client in pain can be more powerful than years of detached analysis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is NVC therapy? How does it differ from the clinical, diagnosis-oriented approach? NVC therapy is a process that encourages empathetic reflection on the part of the practitioner. In contrast, the diagnostic approach is premised on clinical detachment from the patient’s emotional realm. Keep reading for more about NVC therapy and how it differs from the clinical approach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":21097,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[190],"class_list":["post-24157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psychology","tag-nonviolent-communication","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nNVC Therapy: Encouraging Empathetic Reflection - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"NVC therapy is a relatively new approach in counseling psychology. 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