– What Do We Do When We Receive Feedback From a Friend?

Last Updated on May 24, 2018 by Chris Roberts

DETERMINING HOW TO HANDLE FEEDBACK FROM A FRIEND WITH NASHVILLE INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING

By: Chris Roberts, MACP, LPC-MHSP (Licensed Professional Counselor) Two Trees Counseling Nashville

If we are fortunate enough to have solid friends in our lives, then we will inevitably run into situations where they give us feedback about how we are living our lives. Undoubtedly, this is a beautiful gift. However, determining how we handle the feedback is another story.

We may run into questions like: Is it really accurate what they are saying about me? Did they have my best interest at heart when they gave me this feedback? If I don’t accept this feedback as accurate, does it mean that I am being selfish or dismissive or narcissistic? If I don’t change my behavior based on what they said, will I lose this friendship? Are they the ones being selfish by asking me to change?

These are some of the gauntlet of questions we may be asking ourselves when we have received unfavorable or difficult feedback from a close friend. The willingness to be able to ask ourselves these questions without shutting down or lashing out is actually the sign of a healthy, internal life.

COULD MEETING WITH AN INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPIST IN NASHVILLE HELP?

Most of the time, we can work through these issues on our own. We can reach back out to that friend and talk more about what they said and find of way of connecting with them that could put us both at ease. Perhaps we have been worried about this issue within ourselves for a while, and this feedback helps solidify a concern we’ve had and we can immediately begin working on the problem. Other times, we can speak to other friends or family members and find appropriate ways to integrate (or dismiss) this feedback into our lives. And yet, there are times when these 3 previous methods don’t quiet the discontented voice inside our selves (yes, we all speak to ourselves, constantly 🙂   At this point, reaching out to an individual psychotherapist in Nashville, TN can be beneficial in working through some underlying issues that may be present, but yet unidentified.

Individual psychotherapy can help us connect to parts of ourselves that are pushing their way to the surface, but we don’t have words for how to describe them or interact with them. One of the over-arching goals of psychotherapy is to help us integrate all the different parts of ourselves throughout our life span.   When we become troubled by something, or stuck on a particular issue, it may be a sign that a new or old part of us is starting to emerge, and we might need help identifying it and learning how to accept it.

WHERE DO I FIND AN INDIVIDUAL COUNSELOR IN NASHVILLE, TN?         

If you are looking to start some individual counseling in the Nashville area, Chris Roberts can be of help. Chris has worked with many individuals in helping them identify and connect with more authentic parts of themselves in order to live more fulfilling live. Chris can be contacted directly at (615) 800-9260 or by email at: chris@nashvillecounselor.net.