Indeed, we can always support ourselves with empathy by connecting with our feelings and needs.
It’s also true that supporting ourselves with empathy can't replace receiving it from others.
Being with another person in an empathy session helps discover the deepest needs, even in some most stressful situations. When our deepest self is seen and understood, it connects to the knowing and opens our hearts to the world.
We can always go alone, but we go further together.