If a child is emotionally or physically sensitive, they may be an empath.
Parents Magazine reporters spoke to experts about the qualities of an empath and provided suggestions about how parents can adjust their techniques to best support their children.
Shana Feibel, DO, assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, a UC Health physician and psychiatrist at the Lindner Center of HOPE says, "Empaths commonly feel what others feel. If they see others suffering, they can begin suffering themselves."
Being an empath is not a diagnosis in DSM-5, what mental health professionals use to diagnose mental disorders. But research has shown that 1 to 2% of the population are empaths.
Photo of adolescents hugging courtesy of Priscilla Du Preez/Unsplash.
