Souvlakis, N. 2026. Empathy as ontological orientation: Embodiment, therapeutic presence and mirror-touch synaesthesia. British Journal of Psychotherapy. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjp.70052
| Title | Empathy as ontological orientation: Embodiment, therapeutic presence and mirror-touch synaesthesia |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Souvlakis, N. |
| Abstract | Empathy is widely regarded as a foundational element of effectivepsychotherapy and is routinely framed as a core clinical skill withintraining and accreditation frameworks. Despite this consensus,persistent conceptual and experiential tensions remain regardingwhether empathy can genuinely be taught or whether it reflects adeeper, dispositional mode of being that precedes formal instruction.This paper argues that empathy cannot be meaningfully taught as atechnique because it is not fundamentally a skill but an ontologicalorientation towards others grounded in embodied, pre-reflective andrelational processes. Drawing on humanistic psychotherapy,phenomenology, psychoanalytic theory and contemporary neuroscience,empathy is conceptualised as a way of being-with rather than aprocedural competency. Particular attention is given to mirror-touchsynaesthesia (MTS), a neurophenomenological condition in whichobserving touch to another evokes tactile sensation in the observer’sown body. MTS is examined as an intensified manifestation of empathicembodiment that illuminates the involuntary and perceptual foundationsof empathic resonance. The paper critiques skill-based pedagogies ofempathy and proposes a shift in therapist education towards formationpractices that cultivate reflexivity, affect tolerance and ethical presence.Implications for psychotherapy training, clinical practice andprofessional ethics are discussed. |
| Keywords | EMBODIMENT, EMPATHY, MIRROR-TOUCHSYNAESTHESIA, ONTOLOGY, PSYCHOTHERAPY, THERAPEUTICPRESENCE |
| Journal | British Journal of Psychotherapy |
| ISSN | 0265-9883 |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Publisher's version | License CC BY 4.0 File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/bjp.70052 |
| Web address (URL) | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/bjp.70052 |
| Publication dates | |
| Published online | 24 Sep 2026 |