Emotional Support

At EQI.org we define emotional support as helping someone meet their emotional needs. These needs include the need to feel accepted, cared about, believed in, important, listened to, safe, understood, valued. Here are more emotional needs.

According to The American Institute of Stress, emotional support seems most effective when we can share our feelings or burdens with others who are experiencing or have experienced similar problems.  (Source)

I would say it is also most effective when there is a large amount of empathy and understanding, and an absence of invalidation and judgement.

Story of Radovan and Priscilla

Emotional Support and Nature

When it Comes to Emotional Support, Age Doesn't Matter

Emotional Support Prevents Depression

Emotionally Needy People

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Other EQI.org Topics:

Emotional Intelligence | Empathy
Emotional Abuse | Understanding
Emotional Literacy | Feeling Words
Respect | Parenting | Caring
Listening | Invalidation | Hugs
Depression |Education
Personal Growth

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During a chat, I recently asked Radovan how he would define emotional support. He replied

Being emotionally supported means for me:

Feeling understood, validated, supported, encouraged, cared about, believed in, loved, valued, accepted, respected, trusted, heard, forgiven, appreciated, acknowledged.

Then he said, "I felt all of those when I was in England with Priscilla."

I feel very good to hear this. I know that Priscilla has learned to give emotional support from our time together. So I feel very fullfilled to get this feedback from Radovan.

S. Hein
April 13, 2014
La Paz, Colonia, Uruguay