Wayland Town Crier 7/2/12: Wayland resident's new study sheds light on empathy. As the town of Wayland receives a $40,000 grant from the MetroWest Health Foundation to reduce teen dating violence, a Wayland psychiatrist’s new study has timely implications for local parents, educators and students alike. In the study, Helen Riess asserts that empathy is a mutable trait that can be enhanced through training and awareness.