Empathy as a bridge between psychological flexibility and cultural humility

Evidence from counsellor candidates

Bibliographic Data

ID21516236
AuthorsMehmet Buğra Akalın (0000-0002-8528-9784, Gazi University, corresponding author), Kemal Baytemir (0000-0002-7865-4325)
Year2026
Pages1-13
Publication date2026-05-09
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Guidance and Counselling (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0306-9885 • E-ISSN: 1469-3534
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03069885.2026.2622434
OpenAlexW7160696791
LanguageEN
References cited38

The main purpose of this study was to examine the mediating role of empathy in the relationship between psychological flexibility and cultural humility among counsellor candidates. In addition, the study investigated whether counsellor candidates’ levels of cultural humility differed according to their year of study. The sample consisted of 338 undergraduate students enrolled in guidance and psychological counselling programmes at various universities. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Psychological Flexibility Scale, the Basic Empathy Scale, and the Cultural Humility Scale. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 27 and Mplus 8.8 software. Findings revealed that empathy had a mediating role in the relationship between counsellor candidates’ psychological flexibility and their cultural humility. Moreover, no significant differences were found in cultural humility scores across grade levels. The results are discussed within the framework of relevant literature, and implications for researchers and practitioners are provided

Empathy · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Empathy and Medical Education · Psychological Treatments and Assessments

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