10/20/2026
Your credentials tell people youโre qualified. How you listen helps them decide whether they can trust you.
In a field that teaches us to observe, measure, and intervene, we also need to practice letting someone finish their story.
The parent across from you may be carrying exhaustion, uncertainty, and years of feeling dismissed. Before jumping into recommendations, make room to understand what theyโre carrying.
Listen without rehearsing your response.
Ask before assuming.
Reflect back what you heard.
Give them room to say, โThereโs one more thing.โ
Feeling heard doesnโt solve every challenge. But it can create space for trust, collaboration, and a more honest conversation about what support actually needs to look like.
Mentorship should include this, too. Because clinical expertise matters, and so does how people experience being in the room with you.
Whatโs one skill you wish your early mentorship had spent more time on? ๐