I also do things this way. I have low empathy in that I do not literally feel sad when someone feels sad (or the feeling is less by several orders of magnitude). I build a mental model of the person based on past experiences and literature. Then I apply that and I attempt to predict the emotions they might feel in the situation. I believe this understanding is a form of empathy, but I think other people expect the other kind of empathy. I get feedback about whether my predictions are correct by making confirming statements that are either validated or denied. "That must've made you feel undervalued." "Did you feel disrespected in that situation?"