>Yes. There is an "art" to listening. It's a bit more than listening and
>nodding.
>
>Non-judgemental listening is a form of holding and protecting someone.
>Basically what happens is that you provide a safe environment for
>someone to express how they feel. The thing to understand is that they
>don't actually know how they feel until they try to put it into words.
>You're giving them a chance to find those words. The putting into words
>gives them a chance to work through their feelings because feelings
>aren't a single thing; they're a jumble of things.
>
>While they're working through, you do things to reflect what they're
>saying, to encourage, to help them "push." It's like assisting a birth.
>When they are done and relieved, then you can introduce other ideas,
>perspectives. But while they're talking it out, the focus needs to be on
>them, on what they're feeling, etc.
>
>Next time you're in a similar situation you should experiment with this
>process. It's a time consuming process which depends on patience and on
>your having enough faith to allow for silences. You will be quite amazed
>at the results.
>
>Joanna
>
>^^^^^^
>
>CB: The talking cure, some of the rational kernel of Freudianism ?
>
Yes. If you like. And also something that the "mothering" kind do.
Joanna