Psychotherapist’s empathic responses to client’s troubles telling/feelings talk in psychotherapy: A conversation analysis

Abstract

Abstract Using the method of conversation analysis, this study has examined the sequential organization of empathic talk in psychotherapy, analyzed its turn design as well as investigated its variations on turn construction. The empathic sequence can be characterized as a four-part structure: (1) the therapist soliciting troubles/feeling telling from the client; (2) the client’s report on the troubles/feelings talk; (3) the therapist’s empathy, and (4) the client’s response. Moreover, in addition to its unmarked turn construction “empathic talk without prefacing”, this study has found empathic talk takes on other three types of turn construction including so-prefaced empathic talk, particle-prefaced empathic talk and particle(s)+so-prefaced empathic talk. The research findings could reveal the interactional details of empathy in psychotherapy and thus contributes to the understanding of the nature and process of psychotherapy and counselling.