Empathy

To be empathic, we must try, without reserve, to enter into the world of another person - all the while knowing that this is impossible. All the while knowing that when we are sure, we are most prone to error; that when we think we can see most clearly, we may be looking in the mirror; that we must be sceptical of signposts and maps, but that even the most careful scepticism is not foolproof.

A therapeutic relationship is built out of a sincere attempt at empathy. The moments of  'success' are less important for their content than as evidence of that sincerity.