Review all the class discussion posts up to this point in the course. Provide commentary on how you and your classmates express empathy and understanding of one another in the discussion topic format.

Why is it important for psychology professionals to develop empathy around cultural differences, lifestyle differences, and diversity? How are empathy and understanding of others achieved?

Develop a strategy to promote achieving empathy and understanding of others and provide feedback for your classmates’ strategies in your response posts.

To complete this assignment, review the Discussion Rubric document (attached).

Please also reply to the following two students regarding this same topic:

student one:

Through out this course, my classmates and I have been very respectful towards one another in listening to the various point of views. We are all being very cautious of the topics in the discussion while mindfully asking questions when necessary and engaging in conversation towards a positive educational light. We have all been very empathetic on the stories we share as well as the various perspectives. It important for us to further carry this mindset into the professional field of psychology. By applying this open and welcoming mind, we are able to better understand each other as human beings without bias. This create a sense of trust and closeness which will need to be transitioned into our career fields of choice to coexist with not only our clients but also our colleagues. Listening, learning from one another and acceptance is key!

student two:

After reviewing the prior discussion posts of my classmates, it’s clear that in most of our responses to one another we can generally relate to the situation discussed or to some degree can imagine being in or have been in a similar situation. Being able to relate to one another is our way of expressing empathy which is the ability to be able to understand and relate to others emotions, experiences and thoughts. Empathy helps us to better understand the feelings of others and see them as actual human beings with similar problems and concerns as us. This then helps us to respond appropriately in any given situation, while at the same time, staying objective. When expressing empathy as a psychology professional, one is attentive and listens so the patient feels heard.

Empathy is a very important and valuable trait to possess as a psychology professional because you are always interacting with individuals from different backgrounds, lifestyles and cultures. Being sensitive to these three things or at least having an appreciation/understanding of them is important because we may not understand or agree with certain beliefs, practices, lifestyles, experiences, etc., which helps with being more tolerant and empathetic towards others, which in turn, helps build a more trusting relationship between you and the client.