New Books in Psychology Empathy Takes Action: An Autistic Therapist on the Radical Work of Connection
Apr 30, 2026
Aimee Cliff, a London-based psychotherapist and autistic author of Empathy Takes Action, reframes empathy as a skill anyone can practice. She challenges myths about autism and emotion. She outlines five pillars of empathy and discusses communication, power, and the ongoing work of building connection.
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Empathy Is A Deliberate Practice
- Empathy is a practice you choose, not an innate trait some people have and others lack.
- Aimee Cliff traced the myth that autistic people lack empathy to outdated theories and her own diagnosis-driven research that challenged them.
Empathy Lacks One Universal Definition
- The word empathy lacks a single scientific definition, so researchers measure different components like emotional contagion or mentalizing.
- Cliff distilled empathy into five pillars to capture its complexity rather than rely on one ambiguous term.
Ask Instead Of Assuming
- Do practice humility by avoiding assumptions and asking people directly how they feel.
- Cliff contrasts theory-of-mind mind-reading models with checking in as the humble route to understanding.
