Strategy 2: Validate their feelings and experiences

When people share their feelings and experiences, they feel better when they know someone really listened to them. You can help your peers by listening carefully when they share their feelings.

After you are done listening, you can support your peers by telling them you understand how they are feeling. This is called validation. Validation helps to create a "safe space" where everyone on the research team can learn and work together.

For example, a new member of the research team, Jose, felt that everyone ignored his ideas at the last team meeting. The peer supporter, Enrique, validated his feelings by saying “That’s a frustrating feeling.”

There are many things you can say or do to validate someone when they share their feelings.

You can agree with their feelings. You can repeat the words they use, so they know you really listened to them.

For example, Jose was going to a meeting to tell community members about their research for the first time. He told Enrique that he didn’t know many people at the meeting and he was nervous. Enrique validated Jose’s feelings by saying “I agree, it is hard to talk to new people. I was nervous the first time I did that, too.”

Go to the next page to learn about noticing and celebrating the peer researcher's success.

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