Components of empathy: A Delphi study

The resulting definition of empathy focuses on sustainable ways empathy can be shown and the skills this capacity relies on. The components and sub-skills of empathy are self-reflection, which helps process empathic encounters and learn from them for the future; emotional intelligence, including self-regulation of emotions; self-awareness, specifically of own biases; avoiding judgement; active listening; and helpful action, understood as knowing what to do or say that another person may find helpful in a particular situation, especially when it is not possible to confirm their needs. The resulting empathy definition, highlighting its underlying skills, can guide the development of empathy fostering educational programs and the creation of measures that accurately reflect students' proficiency in these skills.