Do you feel frustrated because no one listens to you?

Are you saying something that no one seems to hear?
Do you want to say something but not sure if anyone will listen to you?
Maybe you think what you need to say is too stupid, too embarrassing or has been said many times before.
You may have suffered a loss and are struggling to talk.

Good communication is an art and science. It requires the intention of the sender to produce a message that can be hear and it needs the receiver to acknowledge and make some kind of response so that the sender knows that the message has been received.

There are lots of barriers to people listening to you. There could be physical barriers such as a noisy room, other people talking over you, or visual distractions.

Most people struggle to listen properly because our busy, modern day lives have taught us to reply and give advice. Yet this doesn't help someone who has a problem or needs to be heard.

So other barriers to good communication could be more about the person receiving the message. Maybe they don't want to listen. Maybe they can't listen because they are anxious, have a hearing problem or can't speak your language. Many people just don't know how to listen because active listening means focusing on you and not allowing their mind to drift to other things. Active listening can be difficult at first so this is where a trained counsellor can help because counsellors understand active listening and they practice it every day with clients.

Active listening is about listening with the intent of hearing, understanding and empathising with someone.

As an experienced counsellor specialising in bereavement counselling I really listen to the story and the pain that someone is suffering when they have suffered a loss. I listen to the aspects of the loss. I listen to the key words and patterns in communication. I also observe body  language so as to get a clear understanding of the difficulties so I can plan how to support and help.

Active listening is a very important skill as a counsellor. As many cultures don't to talk very much about bereavement and just try to get on with life these skills of active listening often need to be searched for by the person who is struggling to cope. Added to this, many of the traditional ways of mourning have changed and this doesn't give people the opportunity to talk and listen about grief with their friends, family and communities. Bereavement is a process of loss. It requires time but it also needs that human connection and listening skills.

When you have been heard, especially if you have a problem like grief or some other loss, you can start to feel better because you are sharing the issue and know that things can change.

I provide bereavement counselling face to face in Bournemouth, via telephone or through video conferencing with Vsee.

Kind regards
Linda
www.awakenthechange.online
www.awakenthechange.co.uk