Going through difficult times? Our Helpers are listening and can help. Let us be your bridge over troubled waters. Many of us forget that we all possess one of the most effective tools to aid someone experiencing difficult times just by listening. For a person experiencing a mental health problem, having an empathetic listener can be calming and reassuring – even healing. It requires taking a moment to step outside of our normal patterns of thinking and feeling to imagine what it feels like to be the person in front of us.

The first way to diffuse a tense situation is to establish rapport with the person in distress. Listening quietly, without engaging in problem-solving, signals that you are on that person’s side. This simple gesture validates the other person’s experience.

Listening empathetically allows the listener to really hear and understand what is being said. It also makes it easier for the other person to feel they can talk freely without being judged