Thrive Self-Care Coaching

It can be particularly hard to listen patiently to our loved ones. We naturally want to help and make them suffer less.

So we give advice or share our own perspective or past experiences, hoping it will help.

The other day, someone close to me was telling me about a struggle they were going through, and I listened with curiosity and attention. And then, I tried offering some similar examples from past situations I had been through and what had worked for me, hoping they would find something helpful there.

It did not help.

In coaching conversations, I find it easy to not try to fix. My role as a coach is very clear.

In personal conversations, I find it much harder.

This is why practicing deep listening in a group or with a partner is important to me. It reminds me that everyone is resourceful, creative, and whole and that I am not here to fix anything.

Holding space and offering my true presence is enough.

If you are in Bucharest this coming Saturday (May 23) and would like to practice empathetic listening and holding space with a small group of like-minded people, join the "Heart of Listening" workshop.



Link in bio 🔗

Sometimes we use "self-compassion" to brush over a habit, rather than looking deeper.

​True self-compassion means pausing to connect with the struggle in that exact moment—like the resistance to going to sleep. It’s about acknowledging the suffering, looking beneath the surface, and listening to what we truly need.

​When we perpetuate an unhealthy loop, what unmet need are we trying to fill late at night? Is it a need for autonomy, alone time, variety, or entertainment?

​Once we stop avoiding and start truly listening, everything shifts.

​I’d love to hear your experience with this:
1️⃣ How are you giving yourself compassion?
2️⃣ In what ways is self-compassion not working for you?

​👇 Let's connect in the comments.

​🌱 If this brought someone to mind who is also trying to navigate their own hidden struggles with more compassion, pass it along to them.

​

I remember when someone close to me told me I wasn't empathetic.

I was shocked!

I thought I was one of the most empathetic people I knew!

What I didn't know was that my trying to be helpful and point to other perspectives were actually roadblocks to listening.

I did not know how to truly listen and how to truly hold space for the other person OR for myself.

Having learned and practiced mindfulness, Non-Violent Communication (NVC) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) for the past nine years, I have come to understand what that person meant.

And I found that active listening and holding space are skills that we can learn and nurture so that we can be there for each other and connect from the heart, and that compassion is the foundation.



If you feel ready to explore a deeper way of being and of relating, join us tomorrow afternoon at Sambodhi Studio in Bucharest.



Link in bio 🔗

Cu cine ti-ar placea sa citesti aceasta carte?

What does 'The Heart of Listening' actually feel like? ❤️

Join me on May 9 in Bucharest as we explore compassion practices and active listening designed for the people who hold it all together: our educators.

Only a few spots available for this intimate circle! Click the link in my bio to grab yours. 🌿