Just a few days ago, I was catching up with a girlfriend, who reached out and asked earlier in the week:
Now, this was not unusual in itself, although it was the way she asked that tweaked my curiosity...you know, the meaning behind the words, not so much the words themselves.
As I advocate to many of my patients, listen with the intent to understand and not with the intent to respond.
So we caught up and as I suspected, she had a few things on her plate.
She was just looking to chat and talk about her thoughts, throw around some of the decisions she was considering, with a friend that was happy to listen...and not try and fix things.
How often do we find ourselves frustrated with our bestie or partner or someone we care about, who tries to fix 'it' for you, when all we really need is a platform and a space to be heard.
It is the simplest and most supportive task anyone can do, and by the way, you don't need qualifications to learn this!
So when a friend reaches out...give them space, take the time to listen to understand and give the greatest gift you can, and that is to validate someone's story.
