".....listen deeply to every kind of sound, including the sound of pain from within and from without. When we know how to listen deeply and how to breathe deeply in mindfulness, everything becomes clear and deep." -- Thich Nhat Hanh
Most of us are taught at home or school to listen. Sometimes we are taught to listen in a way that creates a feeling of being force-fed. Some of us grow up in chaos, where nobody is really listening. Then we feel like the victim, and we really only half (or less) listen. I was considered a good listener as a child, but until I had myself experienced being deeply and fully listened to (my first time as a therapy client), I could not fully listen to myself or others.
"You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time." -- M. Scott Peck
I am here, now, to listen. If I couldn't do this, I'd be in another line of work. Your story needs to be told and heard. Sometimes our relationships suffer because we neither feel heard nor do we listen as well as we could. Often we don't know how to listen to ourselves, let alone another. I am mindful of this, working with you as an individual client, half of a couple, or member of a family. I have found that being an unbiased, interested witness to your unfolding life is an important part of my work. True listening leads to deeper understanding, which leads to even deeper listening. Being and feeling more effective, at ease, and able to enjoy the moment are the most common results.