rivka

One concept I don't see covered here is that of active listening. Of asking questions about what people are saying when they are sharing, rather than jumping in with anecdotes of your own. Questions that show that you're listening and attempting to understand something that you've not experienced yourself can help to validate the speaker, in that they may feel that they've managed to really explain themselves and enlighten someone. It's an awful lot more than nodding and saying yes, dear.