While most studies cited are more than a decade old the relationship between empathy and helping remains unchallenged in the 1990s additionally while there is confusion about whether empathy is a personality dimension an experienced emotion or an observable skill it is shown that empathy involves an ability to communicate an understanding of a clients world. The importance of empathy in developing relationships by a verified counsellor therapist published on 2nd january 2017 empathy is the art of stepping imaginatively into the shoes of another person understanding their feeling and perspectives and using that knowledge to guide actions the key to communicating empathy is the ability to listen . While most studies cited are more than a decade old the relationship between empathy and helping remains unchallenged in the 1990s additionally while there is confusion about whether empathy is a personality dimension an experienced emotion or an observable skill it is shown that empathy involves an ability to communicate an understanding of a clients world. How to develop empathy in your relationships make listening a priority before you can connect with what someone else is feeling you have to recognize what that share their feelings once you recognize emotion in another person empathy puts you squarely in that persons shoes make yourself