Empathy in Mental Health Care
By Fabian Halliburton – HFEH Mind Co-production Participant
Changing the way we look at empathy in mental health care
Hi, my name is Fabian, and when I’m involved in conversations about mental health, the topic of empathy usually pops up.
For the Thirty for 30K campaign, I’ve decided to talk about empathy because I think there’s more room for it in mental health care services.
For me personally, I always like to encourage the idea of more empathy in mental health care. And in the wider health care community in general. Which I believe would help to improve care services in a big way.
My own journey with personal health care difficulties has been a very long road. And there have been many times when I’ve felt extremely anxious and mentally exhausted.
Many times I felt like I wasn’t shown any empathy at all. But what’s important to remember is how empathy can be expressed to benefit those people experiencing difficulty.
Encouraging more empathy can potentially change attitudes, thinking and behaviour. Especially in mental health care services. And also reminding the general public that people that are experiencing mental health difficulties deserve respect, too.
Empathy is to imagine what someone else is going through. Wearing the shoe on the other foot. So to speak.
We can imagine a role reversal. When someone is experiencing difficulty. After that, we can have more of an emotional understanding. Which can enable us an opportunity to provide reassurance.
Empathy is different from sympathy. Empathy lets you imagine a situation from another person’s point of view. Whereas sympathy involves feelings of pity. Like feeling sorry for someone in pain.
It’s important to remember that empathy encourages hope. And people experiencing mental health issues can be uplifted if they’re shown even a little empathy.
Empathy can also be encouraged to be expressed mutually. Not just one way, but between both mental health care service providers. And their service users.
When empathy is expressed mutually between people this can create an environment of self-development. Being thoughtful is what empathy is all about. There is a golden rule: ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.’
Here are some simple examples of expressing empathy in a conversation:
- I understand how frustrating that must have been…
- I would feel the same way if that happened to me.
- That would frustrate me, too.
- If I were in your position, I would feel the same way…
- You’re absolutely right.
These are very basic examples of expressing empathy. I think that they can be useful for providing reassurance. In mental health care, this would be a part of a basic approach.
It might not always be possible to totally imagine what someone has been through. But we can have an understanding that we’re all human. And that we all have feelings, too.
Having emotional understanding can also provide personal reward. By providing reassurance. That even though we’re not perfect, we can be hopeful of making progress. Moving forward.
A lot of the information in this blog post is taken from a specific concept. Which is called Equally Unique Love. And I’m using it to refer to my own personal experiences. The concept of equally unique love has a simple formula. It is that empathy equals hope.
It can start with developing empathy personally. And then being able to express empathy towards others. Which can encourage hope.
This is the basic formula that Equally Unique Love follows. This formula might seem very basic. But when it’s applied it makes a huge impact.
I’m not suggesting anyone make any radical changes in their lives. But for people to develop their ability to express empathy. Which is also known as emotional understanding.
In health care, I think that there is huge potential for this concept. For example, the concept of Equally Unique Love would have a specific task. Which would be to simply encourage empathy.
Mental health care service providers could potentially be encouraged to imagine the shoe on the other foot. What it would be like, if it were them experiencing difficulty.
Expressing empathy towards someone that uses care services can help that person to have hope. But it works both ways, too. A service user can be encouraged to also express empathy to the people providing their care.
Mutual respect between health care service providers and their service users creates better working conditions. Making both groups more hopeful for better outcomes.
When a person with lived experience has hope, that same hope can be the motivation to strive for wellness.
Visualising a role reversal. Mental health professionals can let conscience be their guide. And be encouraged to provide care without bias or judgement. Simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Empathy can come from practicing self-acceptance. Which can help to develop an ability to express equal and unique ‘love.’ But in a professional context, equal and unique ‘care.’
I’m sure, that Equally Unique Love can have use in health care. And can serve as a reminder for people to express more empathy.
What’s important to remember is that empathy encourages hope. Empathy requires treating people equal to how you would like to be treated yourself. Bearing in mind that everyone needs care which caters to their uniqueness.
Encouraging people that use health care services to have hope can help them to accept the changes happening in their lives.
When empathy is expressed by health care service providers a positive connection can be created. Which creates optimism. And a positive outlook. Which can be the foundation for mental fitness.
As I continue to develop Equally Unique Love, I will always encourage empathy. To spread hope. And to improve relationships. I hope to change perspectives. But still, I’m also confident that equally unique love has a place in health care, too.
A practical application of Equally Unique Love is to show empathy to someone. Through expressing care. And through treating that individual equally to how you would like to be treated yourself. Bearing in mind that person’s uniqueness. And appreciating their individuality.
Health care service users can also be reminded of the fact that situations can change in an instant. Encouraging them to hold on to hope.
Ultimately, I think that the reason why we need to change the way we look at empathy in mental health care is because empathy is not being expressed enough.
Unfortunately, unconscious bias, discrimination and other blatant acts of racism are regularly experienced by people that use health care services.
I’m sure that empathy can be used to replace ignorance. Which is definitely a way to spread hope for a better future.
I hope that this information has been useful. And I hope that this blog post can help to promote a positive change in people’s attitudes, thinking and behaviour. If even one person experiencing mental health difficulties is treated better as a result of the sharing of this blog post, then this blog has been a success.
Thank-you very much.
Posted on: 21st May 2025
