Loving-Kindness Meditation and Empathy: A Wellness Group Intervention for Counseling Students

The effect of a 6-week loving-kindness meditation (LKM) on the multidimensional empathy of 103 master's-level counseling students was evaluated, in addition to the correlation between reported levels of time spent meditating and empathy. Statistical analyses indicated that participants who received the LKM intervention experienced gains in dimensions of empathy. A significant relationship between quantity of meditation and perspective taking was noted. Implications and suggestions for future research are explored.