“‘Empathy is truly the heart of the relationship,’ said Carin Goldstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist.
‘Without it, the relationship will struggle to survive.’ That’s because empathy requires compassion. And, without compassion, couples can’t develop a bond. ‘[A] bond is like glue: If there is no glue then everything falls apart.’ Psychotherapist Cindy Sigal, AMFT, also stressed the importance of empathy for relationships: ‘Empathy bridges the divide between being separate individuals with different backgrounds, feelings and perspectives.’ She cited John Welwood’s definition of love in his book Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships: ‘a potent blend of openness and warmth, which allows us to make real contact, to take delight in and appreciate, to be at one with ourselves, others, and life itself.’ According to Sigal, without empathy, we can’t make this real contact.”