📖 5-minute read
Validation is saying: 'your experience makes sense.' It doesn't mean agreeing. It doesn't mean approving. It means recognising that what someone feels is real to them and has causes.
'You have every right to be angry' is validation. 'I get why that would feel like too much' is validation. It's the single most powerful move in a difficult conversation — because most people are actually just asking to be seen.
Self-validation matters too. When you feel something, the first move isn't 'should I be feeling this?' — it's 'this feeling makes sense; here's what it might be about.'