For ParfJna and Or!terf w!ttr Care
Communicate Effectively
Creating and maintaining
open communication
with your
daughter is essential for a healthy relationship. Communication
is not merely about talking to someone or showing interest;
communication
is about connecting
with another
human
being in a way that creates an avenue for honesty and change.
The way we communicate,
verbally or nonverbally, affects
how our message is relayed and received. Girls who struggle
with eating disorders often have experienced communication
barriers within their families. These barriers can result from fear
of intimacy, family secrets, unspoken family rules, avoidance,
denial related to public image, and unhealthy family traditions
of communication.
Seek guidance from the Holy Spirit to
enable you to effectively engage with your daughter and to
demonstrate the love and honesty necessary for restoration and
healing.
Active listening is a major key to effective communication.
Being an active listener entails giving the other person your full
attention when she is communicating,
rather than thinking
ahead to what you will say next. When your daughter is
talking but you are focused on what you will say next, you
are missing vital information that could help you respond
her in the most appropriate
to
manner. Giving your daughter
your undivided attention conveys that you love her, support
her, and believe her thoughts and feelings are important. And
there may be times when your daughter really does not want
or need feedback. She may simply want you to listen and hear
her heart.
A goal of effective communication
is to nurture growth
and transparency, while removing walls that block the flow of
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