Description
Empathy is the art of first-person experiential understanding of the feelings of others. Listening is the art of intuitively knowing others’ feelings that underlie their spoken and unspoken words and behaviors. Empathic listening (EL) in clinical interactions has “magical” healing effects, and they happen in various places in our clinical interactions unknowingly. The term “magical” is meant to describe the “unknowability” of the EL moments and the process. Even without a conceptual understanding of the EL process academicians have been teaching the art of EL using “narrative techniques.” To study the EL process objectively, researchers have used neuroimaging techniques based on electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography to verify the interbrain synchronicity in empathic interactions. Further, using the clinical chaplains’ intentional process of EL, researchers have illustrated a robust mindfulness-based framework underlying the EL assessment in clinical care. Despite the objective evidence-based understanding, the EL process is primarily dependent upon the providers’ ability to stay mindfully aware of their subjective emotions that may get triggered by patients’ stories. The reactions and strategies of clinicians for this process vary: Some clinicians evade things that trigger personal pain and struggle altogether while listening to their patient''s stories. Some clinicians who are untrained in mindfulness-based practices may feel frustrated by the slow-moving EL process and may convert the interaction into a talk therapy session. Still, other colleagues may think that EL assessment is a much-sophisticated approach to diagnosing their patients’ illnesses and arriving at a treatment plan. Using clinical narrative case studies, the present session will address the three types of errors listed above and will identify avoidance, erring, and ambiguity. Participants will then practice the EL process in clinical interactions and will learn strategies to teach their colleagues how to empathetically listen to their patients for a healing outcome in every clinical interaction, even if they are brief. The speakers in this session include psychiatrists, a medicine specialist, and a clinical chaplain who will share their experiences on how it is possible to collaborate with each other to provide EL assessment and care services on primary teams in academic medical hospitals.
Format
Recorded webinar.
This content was recorded during the APA 2023 Annual Meeting.
Learning Objectives
- Review common ways in which clinicians miss/err on empathic listening when interacting with patients, listening to their stories, and assessing their mental status
- Practice identifying the errors in empathic listening in simulated vignettes, and practice reframing non-empathetic and problematic assessment styles
- Teach practical skills of Empathic Listening Assessment
Target Audience
Residents/Fellows, Psychiatrists, Psychologists
Estimate Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours
Program Start Date: May 1, 2025
Program End Date: May 1, 2028
How to Earn Credit
Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ may do so after completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
The APA designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity — including faculty, planners, reviewers or others — are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Instructors
- Parameshwaran Ramakrishnan, MD
- Anil Bachu, MD
- Charles Jenson, MD
Planners
- Vishal Madaan, MD, Chief of Education and Deputy Medical Director at the American Psychiatric Association.
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. Please contact the American Psychiatric Association at 202-559-3900, if you require assistance seven (7) business days prior to the start of a live webinar.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
- The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
- Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
- Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
- Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
- Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
- Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance