It’s hard to talk about validation without considering what it is NOT. 
Hopefully you can immediately see that the statements above are examples of 
invalidation. Although we don’t need to validate everything (and in fact, 
it would be unwise to validate everything), we need to at least know HOW to 
validate. Validation is a skill and it can be learned. It is actually 
possible to validate ANYTHING. Yes, anything.

Guilt Trips: The Holiday Edition

Let's face it, most therapists won't say what they really think. We are a group of Psychologists and Licensed Counselors who have real lives and real opinions. We promise not to use cringy "woo-woo" catch-phrases or whispery soft voices when we talk about difficult topics like self-harm, suicide, parenting out-of-control teens, and more. We combine irreverent humor with information and believe in getting right to the point.