Jun 30, 2026 · 40 min · 11 segments
Psychodynamic therapy interventions are the focus of this episode, organized through a practical levels framework for clinicians. Dr. Fu and Dr. Greg break down empathic mirroring as a way to keep the…
What is the next most common intervention you do in an interview or a therapy session? Uh, it is called empathic mirroring.
Level one, empathic mirroring.
Yeah, I'm excited to hear you talk about this, 'cause I'm, I'm curious to hear how you distinguish empathic mirroring from, say, containment.
Yeah
Well, uh, spoiler alert, they probably aren't all that different.
[chuckles] Um, but we can draw a distinction.
So the problem with empathic mirroring is what does that mean? I don't think it's a very clear term.
Uh, in this context, I'm going to define it as getting the patient to talk more, to continue in their narrative without changing the trajectory or content of the narrative, okay? So it's any intervention you do that basically gets people talking more, uh, along the lines that they're already doing.
Uh, in classical terms, that would be encouraging free association.
Now, there's a lot of different ways you can do that, okay? Um, it can be very, very simple.
It can be simply, "Tell me more.
Tell me more." It can simply be looking interested.
You can do this non-verbally.
Or it can be reacting, emoting with your face, uh, to what the patient is telling you in a way that demonstrates care, interest, and that you are feeling what the patient is feeling.
Another important area that I would recommend developing, if you haven't already, is, uh, I think it's important for psychiatrists, clinicians, psychologists, therapists to have a wide variety of hmm's and mm's in their, uh, you know, in their back pocket to try out.
Hmm's and mm's, non-verbal acknowledgement sounds, very important, right? Uh, you're not offering up any new content.
You're not, uh, redirecting in a specific way.
Uh, you can do this non-verbally, and it prompts people and encourages them to continue speaking.
I, I... 'Cause you, you're, you're defining empathic mirroring as kind of getting the person to continue to talk.
Mm-hmm
What is the next most common intervention you do in an interview or a therapy session? Uh, it is called empathic mirroring.
Level one, empathic mirroring.
Yeah, I'm excited to hear you talk about this, 'cause I'm, I'm curious to hear how you distinguish empathic mirroring from, say, containment.
Yeah
Well, uh, spoiler alert, they probably aren't all that different.
[chuckles] Um, but we can draw a distinction.
So the problem with empathic mirroring is what does that mean? I don't think it's a very clear term.
Uh, in this context, I'm going to define it as getting the patient to talk more, to continue in their narrative without changing the trajectory or content of the narrative, okay? So it's any intervention you do that basically gets people talking more, uh, along the lines that they're already doing.
Uh, in classical terms, that would be encouraging free association.
Now, there's a lot of different ways you can do that, okay? Um, it can be very, very simple.
It can be simply, "Tell me more.
Tell me more." It can simply be looking interested.
You can do this non-verbally.
Or it can be reacting, emoting with your face, uh, to what the patient is telling you in a way that demonstrates care, interest, and that you are feeling what the patient is feeling.
Another important area that I would recommend developing, if you haven't already, is, uh, I think it's important for psychiatrists, clinicians, psychologists, therapists to have a wide variety of hmm's and mm's in their, uh, you know, in their back pocket to try out.
Hmm's and mm's, non-verbal acknowledgement sounds, very important, right? Uh, you're not offering up any new content.
You're not, uh, redirecting in a specific way.
Uh, you can do this non-verbally, and it prompts people and encourages them to continue speaking.
I, I... 'Cause you, you're, you're defining empathic mirroring as kind of getting the person to continue to talk.
Mm-hmm
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