The Power of Empathy

One of the most important relationship skills we teach our couples is learning how to validate and empathize with your partner. When your partner comes to you with their thoughts, feelings, perspectives, experiences, and/or needs, the first step you take is to be an active and reflective listener. From there we guide you into validating and empathizing with your partner.
Validation is expressing what makes sense to you or what you can understand with what they share.
Empathy is acknowledging how your partner feels or imagining how they feel. It requires stepping out of your shoes, into theirs, and trying to feel what they are feeling.
When we validate and empathize with our partners, it does not mean we have to agree or feel the same as them.
The power of empathy is that it creates vulnerability and vulnerability creates change in our relationships. If you are seeking change and growth in your relationship and it is not happening or it's struggling to exist, I would recommend looking at your ability to empathize with your partner first.