Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Listen to and observe what you and others are saying, feeling and doing in an
unbiased manner with complete awareness.
Resist urges to interrupt others while they are speaking.
Make eye contact.
Ask questions that show you want to understand what you are hearing.
Be genuine and non-judgmental. Remember important information.
• Recognize that every outcome has a cause and that for all responses
there is a chain of events leading up to it.
• Connect past learning to current emotional reactions. Explain that intense
or extreme emotional responses occur a transaction between an
emotionally sensitive person and an invalidating environment.
Articulate the ways in which a response is reasonable given the current situation.
Acknowledge the value in the other person’s intuition regarding the matter
Describe how the response makes sense in that it is effective for short-term gains.
INSTRUCTIONS: The item in quotes after each number is an example of an invalidating statement. Your task is to
identify an emotion to validate and then create a validating response to the statement that includes the emotion.
Emotion VALIDATE THE EMOTION AND REFRAME IT WITH THE NONJUDGMENTAL FACTS.
Frustration It's frustrating to feel like no one cares. I care and want to understand.
2. “It's really lame that the hospital messed up my meds. I need them now.”
4. “Talking about self-harm makes me want to crawl under a rock and hide.”
5. “I am a loser because I don't stop getting drunk and high even though it's ruining me.”
7. “I am too needy because I cry when my spouse doesn't call me back right away.”
8. “My mom and dad always brag about my stupid brother and put me down.”
9. “I don't care that he hits me, he's always there for me when no one else is.”
10. “If I cry everyone will think I am weak or being a selfish drama queen.”