Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life
Unlock the secret to true and lasting change. We all spend a lot of energy trying to get the people in our lives to listen to us, and despite our best efforts, we often fail. But what if the secret to influencing others was to demonstrate acceptance? Enter validation—communication that one is mindful, understands, and empathizes with another person's experience, thereby accepting it as valid. As both a means and an end, validation has profound effects, from improving relationships and de-escalating conflicts to increasing our ability to generate self-compassion and help people change their behavior. In this groundbreaking book, clinical psychologist Caroline Fleck explains why validation is one of psychotherapy's best-kept secrets while taking us step-by-step through eight skills we can use to communicate it. Full of "aha" moments and powerful takeaways, Validation reveals how the science of seeing and being seen is the key to inner and interpersonal transformation.