Reduce the pressure.
A suitable shared activity can make conversation easier than a succession of questions. Consider what the young person enjoys and what the setting allows.
Make room to listen.
Silence does not always need filling. Offer time to respond and show that you have understood before moving to advice.
Remember what matters.
Return to an interest, concern or ambition they have shared. Small signs of attention and consistency can give a relationship something real to build on.
From the ECNM journal
This reading edition adapts our published work. Explore the original articles below.