Empathy is the ability to understand and connect with the feelings of others as if we’re feeling them ourselves. We develop empathy to understand that we are capable of connecting at a deep level with another person or culture even though we don’t have the same background or experience. Healing comes about when we create more caring and cohesive communities. When we realize that in spite of our differences, we can experience high levels of social support and a greater sense of well-being and trust.