🖊 WRITE 🖊

Discover their happy place, and connect theirs with mine, and try to play and have fun together. First, find out if they’re in their happy place.

How do I achieve all this when I barely know somebody or have lost touch with what someone feels or needs? After receiving therapy, I now have more space for more than just my own story. Trying to connect our happy places may only work when we both are present, instead of being in survival mode.

My goal is to join existing happy places rather than create them from scratch. If they’re not in their happy place or if I’m unsure, create a safe space for them to open up. This safe space allows them to express any feelings. Give undivided attention, ask open-ended questions, make eye contact, and relate to their story without overshadowing it with my own.

After they’ve opened up, give them space. Remove pressure for them to act happy immediately, by reflecting on their feelings and needs, when I’m by myself. Then, kindly invite them personally to join a shared happy place at their own pace.