Which pair created a program to help counselors learn accurate empathy?

• A. Rogers; Maslow.
• B. Skinner; Bandura.
• C. Piaget; Vygotsky.
• D. Truax; Carkhuff.

Answer: (D)

Accurate empathy means truly understanding a client’s experience from their own perspective and communicating that understanding in a way the client can verify as correct. Truax and Carkhuff built a program to train counselors in this precise skill, turning empathic understanding into teachable, measurable practice. Their method breaks empathic responding into concrete steps—listening attentively, restating the client’s content, reflecting the feelings behind what’s said, and checking back to ensure the interpretation matches the client’s experience. They also developed rating scales to give clear feedback on how well a counselor’s response captures the client’s internal world. This structured approach makes empathy something you can learn and refine, not just a natural trait. While Rogers highlighted empathy as central to counseling, the formal program to teach accurate empathy is attributed to Truax and Carkhuff.