Partner empathy is critical in couple relationships and couple therapy, yet little is known about empathic communication processes in couples. In this study, we use task analysis to identify how clients convey empathy to their romantic partners in couple therapy. Drawing from 28 recorded couple therapy sessions that capture successful and unsuccessful task performances (empathic and nonempathic responses by partners), we develop an empirical model of romantic partners’ empathic responses including preceding and subsequent performance components. The model specifies three main sequential performance components: vulnerability, empathy prompt, and empathy. We conclude by considering their implications for therapy practice and training.

In the last several years, there has been an increase in interest in the history of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. This, in turn, has called attention to health-related topics such as the proportion of the Indigenous population which suffers from a psychological disorder. Using statistics drawn from Statistics Canada’s 2014 General Social Survey on Victimization, this study examines the percentage of respondents who report having a mental/psychological disorder and analyzes the percentage in terms of the heritage of the respondents. According to the findings, a larger proportion of Indigenous people reported having a psychological disorder than non-Indigenous people. The results, along with past literature, provide evidence which supports a statistically significant relationship between "Aboriginal group – Respondent" and "Mental/psychological disability status."