Amid a dire nationwide therapist shortage, could lay counselors help close the gap?

One morning last May, 10 students and two instructors from across California gathered on Zoom to talk about empathy. Empathy, said instructor Elizabeth Morrison, is often undervalued. But it’s a crucial skill for any effective mental health care provider. People who find their way into this academy, she said, tend to already have a lot of empathy and be good at communicating it.