Can I validate your feelings without agreeing with your facts?
Sometimes, when a person you care about opens up to you about a painful experience, you feel understanding and compassion well up within you. You’re thinking,
“Gosh, if I were in your shoes, I’d be feeling the same thing!”
But that’s not always the case. Sometimes, when a person needs your validation and empathy, it’s tough because the story they tell about their experience seems a bit off. How we handle this kind of moment has HUGE implications for sustaining a close connection in that relationship.
In this episode, I unpack some of my own experiences and the tools I have found helpful for navigating these situations. In a healthy relationship, the opinions, emotions, and experiences of both people matter. So we have to find ways to honour the other person without dishonouring ourselves. It’ll take some courage and humility, but it’s definitely possible.
