In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why validation has nothing to do with agreement and why that distinction saves relationships
- How to stay connected to people even when their choices make no sense to you
- How to validate others while holding onto your own truth and boundaries
What if every conflict you've ever had was actually your soul trying to teach you something about unconditional love?
I know how that sounds. But stick with me here.
We throw around the word "validation" like it's some basic relationship skill. Like it's about saying "that sounds hard" when someone's having a bad day. But real validation? The kind that actually transforms relationships and heals trauma? That's something entirely different.
It's about learning to see someone so completely that they remember who they really are underneath all their defenses and patterns and pain. It's about holding space for another person's truth without abandoning your own. It's about loving someone exactly as they are while they're making choices you can't understand.
Today we're talking to Caroline Fleck, a psychologist who spent over ten years mastering validation through dialectical behavior therapy. She's worked with everyone from people in crisis to couples ready to call it quits. She's discovered that this one skill can keep relationships intact even when you're on opposite sides of everything.
Links from the episode:
- Show Notes: mindlove.com/408
- Join the Mind Love Collective
- Sign up for The Morning Mind Love for short daily notes to wake up inspired
- Support Mind Love Sponsors
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Male Room with Dr. Jesse Mills
As Director of The Men’s Clinic at UCLA, Dr. Jesse Mills has spent his career helping men understand their bodies, their hormones, and their health. Now he’s bringing that expertise to The Male Room — a podcast where data-driven medicine meets common sense. Each episode separates fact from hype, science from snake oil, and gives men the tools to live longer, stronger, and happier lives. With candor, humor, and real-world experience from the exam room and the operating room, Dr. Mills breaks down the latest health headlines, dissects trends, and explains what actually works — and what doesn’t. Smart, straightforward, and entertaining, The Male Room is the show that helps men take charge of their health without the jargon.