Listening is one of the greatest gifts that we can give
our clients or anyone for that matter. In order to truly listen to
someone, we need to set ourselves aside. If you are listening and thinking
about what advice you are going to give or what story you are going to tell
about yourself, you are not listening. Learning to listen is a process and needs
to be practiced.
Active listening is one form of listening.
Listening entails being present with what someone is
saying. It requires that you be in touch with your feelings when someone
is talking. It requires developing a sensitivity to others and what they
are telling and/or showing us. Most of what we hear others say also
depends on what their body is showing us. If someone is saying they are
sad and they are smiling - how would we know if it is really true?
What most people are actually needing is to be
listened to and heard. They will know that this is happening for them in
different ways. I know for me, I feel like I have been heard when the person
shows the same emotion that I am feeling or when they say things that let me
know how they feel in response to what I am saying.
People often arrive at our office in pain
and discomfort and sometimes are lacking an explanation or a
solution from the medical community. Since we all have
different techniques that we use, what makes the difference in
their ability to heal and feel better. Healing often may
be different from just eliminating pain. How did they get
themselves into pain in the first place?
The Science of Being Well ( a free Ebook) also talks about
how it is our thoughts and beliefs that cause sickness and pain.
If that is true all one needs to do to heal is to change those
thoughts. Although it may seem simple, it is not easy as
most of our thoughts are unconscious. Being listened too
will help the client become more aware of themselves.
