Home / Approaches /
Just Listening
Just Listening
The Just Listening approach supports people experiencing psychosis, suicide, or any other form of distress by offering deep listening. It is a psychotherapeutically informed approach based in established theoretical frameworks.
The practice philosophy of Just Listening is guided by the psychotherapy approach of Humane Clinic Psychotherapy Collective.
The intention of Just Listening is to offer justice to a person by listening to their experiences (story). This is considered the sole purpose of the approach. Unlike many other models there is no formulation, plan or intervention. This process has been demonstrated as an effective response to distress and as a means of creating connection across diverse practice settings.
PRINCIPLES OF JUST LISTENING
Just Listening is defined by the following principles and skills:
- Listen with the intention to offer justice to a person’s story.
- Focus responses on the story of the person you are listening to
- Resist the urge to fix – continue listening
- Slow down: be aware of your thoughts and intentions
A revolutionary response to distress and connection:
Just Listening has been delivered to professionals and community members across Australia and internationally.
The approach has been utilised by health and medical professionals within primary healthcare systems, in alternative mental health settings, within mainstream mental health services and hospitals, and as an approach to suicidal distress.
Just Listening has demonstrated the possibility of providing a unique option for people in distress and as a means of creating connection across diverse practice settings. There is evident value in the justice experienced when a person’s story is heard.
Community members in distress who have regular access to Just Listening can more readily return to their families, workplaces and communities once they have been heard. Professionals trained in Just Listening experience greater job satisfaction through more effective practice and increased connection with clients, patients and colleagues.
Just Listening continues to evidence that people in our community have common human experiences and understandable responses to these experiences.
The approach has provided greater choice for community members seeking to access assistance. It provides a platform for the development and delivery of the Just Listening Therapeutic Community as a permanent alternative to current mental health services and the expansion of Just Listening in Australia and the UK.
Resources
