I agree, the social worker did show empathy, but she did not provide much opportunity for the young man to expand on the various emotions he must be feeling. It seemed she went quickly into “problem solving” mode. We often do this in the health care industry out of a strong desire to help, yet we may end up leaving the patient out of the discussion without even realizing it. It is never easy to hear a patient say he was failed by our colleagues. How we respond is so incredibly important in regards to reestablishing trust and allowing the patient to heal and move forward.