In my last post I introduced the first C in my A.C.C.E.P.T.™ program, show compassion and caring in your communications to be heard and understood and to hear and understand. Today I want to talk about the second C – Courageous Communication.
Feeling the pain of not being accepted
When someone comes out to their parents as LGBT and one or both parents are not accepting, communication is all but impossible. The parent doesn’t know what to say and either says nothing or says the “wrong” thing. The young person feels rejected and not accepted and usually shuts down, stops talking and communication stops. The LGBT youth doesn’t feel safe talking about their life anymore and may not feel safe talking about anything, even mundane topics.
Courageous Communication brings results
When we start with compassion, courageous communication comes more easily. It is difficult to talk about topics that make us uncomfortable, whether it is our feelings as parents about what it means to have an LGBT child or how it feels as a child to have parents who don’t understand or accept as.
It takes courage to be the first to open the door to communication. Will you be the one to nudge that door open?
Learn more about Susan.
Follow Us!