Time for August's Insecure Writer's Support Group. Writers, learn more HERE and join us. Hey, everyone. I’m Jennifer Lane, psychologist/author (psycho author). I do therapy on the weekdays and write on the weekends, and I can’t decide which is more fun. Character growth is essential in any story, and I often help my characters develop through psychotherapy. Finding the balance between authentic therapy and engaging storytelling can be tricky. Here are some tips: 1) Empathy. Otherwise known as validation or good listening, empathy is reflecting the speaker’s emotion. It’s a key therapy skill, regardless of the therapist’s theoretical orientation. Here are some examples of empathy: Client: “What’s the point?” Therapist: “You’re feeling hopeless.” Client: “He’s such an ass!” Therapist: “You’re really angry at him.” Sounds simple, right? It’s not. A lot of times we want to give advice or solve problems, when all people need is validation. Empathic li...