So far from the knowledge I have had before and after the class in this course one thing that I have learned and will keep in mind while being a professional in this field is that a therapist could be anything but not less of an empath or a compassionate person because near to me these are the key qualities of being recognized as a good therapist if we talk about empathy by definition empathy is to put yourself in your clients shoes and then evaluate their circumstances guiding them through their problems but there are stages to be a complete empath as well first of all cognitive empathy where you understand the situation of your client secondly emotional resonance where you put yourself in the situation and evaluate how you would feel being in those circumstances this helps you to reflect and validate your clients emotions effectively lastly compassionate empathy this is where your theoretical knowledge about the field also comes into play when you guide your client through their problems by teaching them effective strategies For example teaching the client grounding techniques to have better control over themselves whenever they face physical symptoms due to anxiety. On the other hand compassion which I think should not be a necessity for just being a therapist or a good therapist but also a human being compassion can be defined as having concerns or care for an individual’s well-being and happiness and wanting to alleviate their circumstances or in simpler words when we hear our friend rant about their problems and the immediate feelings of “oh I wish I could change that for them” settling in is known as compassion. Both these qualities strengthens the therapeutic relationship helps develop insight in the client creating a safe space where they won’t be judged and can easily trust their therapist fostering the process of growth and healing. Active listening is also ought to be a essential skill for a therapist I mean if you wouldn’t be able to actively listen what your client has to say how would you move on in the therapy with them. Active listening therefore is just not about listening but also noticing all the verbal nonverbal cues passing on reflective statements firstly to gain clarification from the client and secondly to also develop an insight indirectly. To be a good active listener one could incorporate minimal encouragers like “ACHA” “HMM” “AHAN” that assures the person sitting in front of you that you are paying attention, asking open ended questions being mindful not to miss any detail and having silence pauses providing the client with the space to think and express themselves. A therapist should also be nonjudgmental towards their clients providing them with unconditional positive regard accepting them the way they are and not try to impose change on them by being open minded and keep aside their own personal biases and beliefs being respectful towards their culture religion and ethnicity the therapist should avoid assuming things and ask for clarification and should also be aware of one’s own emotional state and if either they are projecting their own emotions onto the client or not the therapist should be mindful of the language they use trying to be as positive as they can be with their words as it promotes and boosts self-confidence and motivation in the client and avoid jargons facilitating better understanding. I think a therapist should not be rigid and have the flexibility to understand that the therapy is for the client and is going to help the client so I should adapt ways that are accessible for the client and should be open to constructive critiscms working on his negatives. I think some people have these qualities innately that is why most of your friends come to you with their problems telling you oh it’s so comforting to talk to you everything seems so easy when you explain it to me and with more work more polishing and training these skills can be enhanced.