Quiet Confidence With Dr Tess Crawley

We all need to feel seen and heard, especially when times are tough. We need to know that when we’re struggling, others see our pain. This provides validation that what we are experiencing is real. We also need to know that our reaction to difficult times is not “crazy”, but a normal response that anyone in the same situation would also experience. This helps normalise our response and take some of the self-judgement out of the equation. As mental health professionals normalising and validating peoples emotional experiences is a common aspect to our work with clients. It’s not a ‘treatment’ but an important element to laying the foundations for treatment to be effective, because it helps build trust. A fundamental component of the therapeutic relationship. What if you can’t someone who’ll provide that normalisation or validation for you? Then it’s time to take a step back and provide that for yourself. How? It involves a big dollop of self-compassion, and consciously tapping into viewing your situation throug