In Ch. 5 Servellen touches upon many important points, his main focus was on the difference between empathy and sympathy. Empathy and sympathy are two important mechanisms used when providers listen to their patients. Empathy is used when the provider shows understanding and acknowledgement for what the patient is going through, but don’t show any emotional connections. Sympathy is when a provider shows emotional connection to what the patient is saying. Sympathy is not a recommended form of acknowledgement because it can make the patient feel worse or as if they are being pitied. Servellen also touched upon the importance of active listening. Providers should not only hear to what the patient is saying, but also take time to really listen and understand. He also included the steps that should be taken in order to be empathetic towards a patient which include: identification, incorporation, reverberation and detachment.
I can use this information Servellen shared wisely while practicing Occupational Therapy in the future. I will be sure to be more empathetic, then sympathetic when
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6 Servellen discusses the differences between trust and mistrust. Trust is an extremely important aspect within a patient- provider relationship. Trust is the ability to share information and know that it wouldn’t be misjudged or shared. Trust is also when one knows that they can rely on the help of another. Without a patient feeling respect between them and their provider, trust cannot be instilled. A provider must also be genuine when working with a patient. Mistrust occurs when the patient no longer feels comfortable sharing information with their provider because their information is no valued or safe. Trust is established in three phases; the initiation phase, implantation phase and the termination phase. Providers never want to respond to a patient with disconfirming responses. These can lead to the patient not feeling like they are accepted or respected by their