GIVE

GIVE – How to keep and maintain relationships

All relationships are like gardens… they require maintenance. Relationships suffer when they fall by the wayside. If you want to keep and maintain a relationship, you need to play an active role.
**Linehan, M.M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
You can remember these skills with the term GIVE.
(be)G

entle – be gentle in your delivery and style of speech.

(act)I

nterested – people feel better when you act interested in them and give them the time and space to respond to you.

V

alidate – communicating that the other person’s feelings, thoughts, and actions make sense to you.

(use an)E

asy manner – be lighthearted. Use a little humor. Smile. The way we deliver a message can make a big difference in how it is likely to be received.

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