Since 2010, July 18th is known as World Listening Day. While it’s something we might want to consider honoring every day, perhaps we can take a minute to stop and think about how we listen to others and how they listen to us.

People talk and listen for various reasons. For those dealing with psychological or physical challenges, sharing stories might help to work through a solution or come to grips with a difficult situation.

Deep listening is about truly connecting with ourselves and our lives in addition to connecting with others. This practice can connect us with others at a deeper level and lead to a more blissful and calmer sense of being.

When we’re empathetic and engaged in deep listening, the speaker becomes more comfortable and tends to open up more. Thus, the listener sets the tone for the interaction. Most clinicians are aware that it’s best not to........

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