Genuine Validation

Do you experience the turbulence of a loved one’s emotional drama or perhaps the chill of a coworker’s angry stonewalling? Does your fear or confusion stop you from responding effectively? Or perhaps you want to connect with others and the relationship is smooth, but you feel timid or uncomfortable and just don’t know what to say.

If you want to communicate more effectively in difficult situations or improve a difficult relationship, then you will love this book!  Genuine Validation will guide you toward healthier interactions, deeper relationships, and more meaningful communication.

Genuine validation comes from the heart. It is sincere. It is not just a recipe for what to say or a "strategy." It is a deep and intimate human connection with another person. It is an expression of acceptance, empathy, compassion, and wisdom that arises from being profoundly present with another person. It’s not just words. It is an intentional act of caring that affirms that another person’s experience is important and legitimate.

Although this book is especially useful for people who have a conflictive interpersonal relationship with another person, anyone who aspires to be skillful at communicating needs to learn to validate others.

The more effective we are at validating, the better we can manage our social interactions and even the relationship we have with ourselves. Developing validation skills increases our emotional intelligence and the level of satisfaction with our own life.

Genuine Validation is based on dialectical behavior therapy, Buddhist psychology, nonviolent communication, and neuroscience. It is useful for professionals interested in the underlying biology and philosophy of validation and also for the general public interested in concrete examples and experiential practices to develop an understanding and regular practice of validation skills.

At its essence, Genuine Validation guides readers to expand their emotional intelligence and to develop social skills that are the foundation for transforming their relationships with others—and with themselves.

Corrine Stoewsand, Ph.D. has taught validation in eight countries in North and South America. She is an expert at communicating effectively when emotions run high.  She has been teaching and coaching individuals, families, organizations, and mental health professionals for over twelve years. Her work is drawn from the emerging fields of mindfulness and compassion in western psychology, Buddhist philosophy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and other evidence-based psychotherapies, as well as research in contemplative neuroscience.