I was seated, and 4 staff members stood in close proximity around me.

I was constantly interrupted.

My thoughts and feelings were judged, and I was told they were wrong.

I was not provided with a safe space to convey what I wanted to say, nor was I given time to communicate it.

I was told my fears were wrong and that I should be thinking differently.

Every time I was asked this question it allowed me to celebrate my progress and view it positively, and focus on what the next goal was. Rather than sit in a story of self-loathing and despair.

When I shared what I needed, they used this as a base for the next few conversations we had. Did I get what I needed? What did I need next?

Based on what I said I needed, this framed our conversations, and when I was on a mental downward spiral, they brought me back to the base we'd set.

I was reassured that I wasn't an anomaly in my experiences, which made me feel accepted rather than an outsider.

be empathetic

make sure i encourage them by mmm'ing and asking them to go on so they know you are hearing them.

How can they really understand and listen properly when they do not know what it feels like, they want to fix everything when all i want is them hear and understand and empathise but LISTEN without judgement or comment.