My recent hip surgery had me thinking about a very important trait people should look for in a personal trainer/coach. Having trained a number of individuals pre and post hip surgery I can now say that I have a better appreciation for my clients’ past situation. My personal experience has enhanced my ability to demonstrate empathy to a greater degree for my clients in similar situations. Most people have a degree of empathy; however, there are always exceptions to the rule. In order to be able to recognize someone’s empathetic abilities it is important to understand that empathy can be a rather multi-layered entity.
In most cases personal trainers and coaches (PTCs) inherently love helping others, have undergone top-notch training & education, and possess a healthy work ethic. This does not always tell the whole story though and people need to be cognizant of certain intangibles which separate capable PTCs from very good or great PTCs. Empathy, is a critical trait which every trainer should possess.
Empathy is “the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else’s feelings” as defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Simply put you know what it is like to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.”
I would take this even a step further. As stated by Ronald E Riggio Ph.D.in Psychology Today there are three types of empathy. There is empathy associated with perspective, such as being able to understand how one may feel or see something from their point of view. There is the empathy of concern for one’s state or plight, recognizing their emotional state and if appropriate responding accordingly. The third type of empathy deals with “personal distress.” In other words you feel/express the same emotion(s)as the person. This type of empathy can be destructive as you may become easily overwhelmed by emotion and feelings if they are negative in nature.
For obvious reasons it is clear that the first two types of empathy, described immediately above, are essential to a PTC’s make-up. The ability to perceive and appreciate another’s situation creates that critical “trust” component so essential to the client-PTC partnership. Empathy sets the foundation for building the trust relationship. It instills confidence in the client to see that the PTC “gets it” and not only acknowledges the client’s unique circumstance but can relate to it in a positive manner.
A PTC who demonstrates and practically applies their empathetic capabilities will have the means to formulate an accurate, responsible, and realistic exercise/lifestyle prescription which will set the client up for future success. The positive relationship which will inevitably exist between the parties should grow and prosper further ensuring the success of both PTC and client.