Empathy: Necessary to Understand AnotherEmpathy: Necessary to Understand Another
RelateWell with Dr. Rick Marks
Dr. Rick Marks explains why empathy is central to healthy, connected relationships and breaks down what empathy is—and isn’t—with clear, practical steps. The episode focuses on helping people practise empathy in everyday conversations and conflicts to deepen trust and emotional bonds.
9:44•21 Jul 2026
Empathy That Heals: Dr. Rick Marks on Truly Seeing Another Person
Episode Overview
- Empathy is different from sympathy, agreement and fixing; it means feeling with someone rather than just feeling sorry for them.
- Humility is required for true empathy, putting aside your own perspective instead of turning the focus back to yourself.
- Listening to understand, asking clarifying questions and reflecting back what you hear are key steps in practising empathy.
- Validating someone’s feelings acknowledges that their emotions make sense from their perspective, even if you don’t agree.
- Resisting the urge to fix and offering help only after understanding and validation can prevent people from feeling dismissed.
“Empathy says, I see you.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? In this episode of RelateWell, Dr. Rick Marks turns the spotlight on empathy as a core relationship skill, especially for anyone dealing with the fallout of broken families, addictions and past hurts. You’ll hear Dr. Rick break down empathy in plain language, starting with what it isn’t.
He explains that sympathy says, "I feel bad for you," while empathy says, "I feel with you," closing the emotional gap instead of keeping a safe distance. He also stresses that empathy isn’t agreement, fixing, or turning the conversation back to yourself with lines like, "Well, when that happened to me…". Central to his message is the idea that empathy is the emotional bridge between two inner worlds. Humans want to be seen and understood, and Dr.
Rick argues that "empathy is actually the skill that heals relationships" and creates genuine intimacy and strong bonds. The episode is very practical too. Dr. Rick walks through simple, repeatable steps: listening to understand rather than to respond, asking clarifying questions like "What was that like for you?", reflecting back what you hear, validating someone’s experience without necessarily agreeing, and resisting the urge to jump straight into solution mode.
He even tackles the common worry of "But I don’t feel what they’re feeling," pointing out that you don’t need the same experience to care deeply and try to understand. Grounded in his HREG framework—humility, respect, empathy and goodwill—Dr. Rick’s style is warm, direct and down-to-earth, making this episode especially useful for partners, parents, and anyone rebuilding trust after painful experiences, including those linked to alcohol misuse.
He ends with a challenge: pick one conversation this week and practise empathy intentionally. So, who in your life needs you to say, through your actions, "I see you" today?
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