Listening is an art. It requires focus, curiosity…and a great deal of heart.
To listen well, to listen actively, you have to ground yourself, harness your own rambling and perseverating thoughts, park your own personal worries and concerns, care genuinely and deeply about the other person, and give them your full and undivided attention––until they feel heard.
As a psychotherapist, my job is to listen actively and intently every single day. When my clients talk about their pain and suffering, as well as their joys and accomplishments, I listen to their words. I listen to the meaning behind their words. I ‘listen’ to their body language. I listen to them with every fibre of my being.