Using Music Videos to Enhance Empathy in Counselors-in-Training

Abstract

Counselor empathy is recognized as a fundamental aspect of the counseling process. In addition, a counselor's ability to empathize with clients is associated with positive counseling outcomes. Counselor educators utilize various strategies when teaching empathy to counselors-in-training. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of music videos as a tool to enhance empathy among counselors-in-training. More specifically, this manuscript will (a) review strategies used for empathy development in counselors-in-training, (b) present support for using expressive techniques in empathy training, and (c) describe the use of music videos in empathy training, including the application of a music video that is appropriate for counselors-in-training.