We all spend a huge amount of time trying to get people to listen to us, and despite our best efforts, we often fail. But what if the secret to influencing others was in first accepting them?This is known as validation: the act of showing someone that you understand their experience and accept it as valid. As both a means and an end, validation skills are proven to impact five key areas of our life: enhancing our relationships, de-escalating conflict, increasing our ability to drive behaviour change, influencing growth in others, and developing a stronger connection to self.

In this groundbreaking book, Stanford University psychologist Caroline Fleck explains why validation is a catalyst for transformation, and shares her step-by-step framework to put this powerful skillset into practice.