your best communication skills and acknowledge their discomfort .
3 If you feel it ’ s right , talk to your loved one about emotional neglect . You can kindly share information you have learned or guide them to helpful resources .
4 Use caution . Your job is to be a supportive friend or family member , not to take on the job of repairing cracks in their foundation yourself . They need to do this work on their own time and when they are ready .
Your friend or family member with childhood emotional neglect did not receive emotional
education or emotional validation or feel it was safe to be in touch with their emotions growing up . You are able to give them something they never had before : emotional acceptance and safety .
Just like in Encanto , what helped Casita form a new , solid , and structurally sound foundation was the love and connection among the family members inside the home . With some attention and compassion , a new foundation can be built .
Jonice Webb , Ph . D .,
is a licensed psychologist and author of two books , Running On Empty : Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect and Running On Empty No More : Transform Your Relationships .