5 Ways Empathetic Listening and Validation Can Improve a Difficult Relationship by Felicia Glick LCSW MCLC If you're struggling in a relationship, it's easy to assume the problem is a lack of love, commitment, or compatibility. Sometimes that's true. But often, the real issue is that one or both people don't feel heard. One of the most powerful things you can do in a difficult relationship is practice empathetic listening and validation. In simple terms, that means genuinely