How to Know What to Say to a Person Who’s in Pain

There are few things more heart-wrenching than seeing a person in pain.

We want to help them.

We want to say the right thing.

And the last thing we want to do is give them the exact same uninspiring advice that the last twenty people gave them who tried to help.

Two methods to use when people are in pain

1. Listen to them.

Just not in the way you think.

I know that ‘hear them out’ sounds as unhelpful and overused as a lot of the advice that you don’t want to offer the suffering party, so I’ll clarify that there’s more to it than simply letting them talk.

You have to listen to a specific aspect of their words.

You need to actually listen to your clients.

Their negative statements tell you what they don’t want.

And by hearing what they don’t want, you can discover what they DO want in their lives, which gives you a basis for helping them move toward it.

Be present, and don’t spend the whole conversation half-tuning them out so you can formulate your next bit of advice.

Learn to use peoples’ complaints to discover their needs, and then you will be better equipped to help them meet those needs.

2. Seek guidance.

When you realize what the other person wants, send that thought out to a higher power on their behalf.

Whether you believe in God, the Universe, your Best Self, or something else, ask that source of wisdom for help in assisting the suffering person.

Then listen carefully to your next thoughts, and express them.

Sometimes guidance will come through you, and trying to analyze it or judge its validity before it can reach its intended recipient will only prevent you from being of any real help.

So if questions or comments come to mind, voice them, gently and respectfully.

Is there more to it than that?

Yes – much more.

What I’ve given you here can be used as a starting point, but obviously, there’s a great deal more to helping people overcome their pain and create the lives they’ve been dreaming of.

As a certified life coach, you will learn how to approach a person who is suffering, understand their challenges, needs and desires, and help them far more effectively than you could by simply listening and offering encouragement. And to make matters even better, you can get paid to do it.

You won’t have to relegate changing lives to a part-time or spare-time occupation; you’ll be able to focus your entire workday on a career that helps people to create the life of their dreams.

Imagine, knowing that your every-working-hour was creating that kind of impact on the world!