The Development of the Existential Empathy Questionnaire

Therapist empathy toward existential concerns might be a critical component of clinical practice. This study aims to explore the psychometric properties of the Existential Empathy Questionnaire (EEQ), a self-report instrument developed to measure levels of existential empathy among mental health professionals. The EEQ was completed by a sample of 393 therapists recruited in Belgium, along with measures of general empathy, experiential avoidance, and existential avoidance. To assess the test-retest reliability, 353 participants of the same sample completed the EEQ a second time 2 weeks later. Clinical experience and therapeutic theoretical background were assessed to inform professional characteristics. The results support the use of the EEQ as a unidimensional measure of existential empathy. It demonstrates good internal reliability and temporal stability. A principal components analysis indicates three components with small to moderate intercorrelations, labeled as "Communication," "Avoidance and Overwhelming Feelings," and "Resonance and Presence." EEQ total scores show a moderate positive association with general empathy and a moderate negative association with experiential and existential avoidance. Furthermore, the EEQ significantly uniquely predicts experiential and existential avoidance after controlling for general empathy. Years of clinical practice and a humanistic-oriented therapeutic approach correlated moderately with high EEQ scores.