ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the central role of validation and self-validation in EST. Many clients come to therapy with the belief that no one understands what they have been going through and establishing this trust is a key part of therapy. Many clients have a long history of being invalidated and told that they should not have the feelings that they have. They have been told that they are out of control, too emotional, crazy or irrational. The Emotional Schema model emphasizes the importance of helping the client feel understood and cared for. Validation and compassion are viewed as important parts of the attachment experience—not only in everyday life, but in therapy as well. The specific components of validation are described and examples of how these can be included in therapy are provided. In addition, some clients lack the ability to validate themselves or to show self-compassion and these issues are described in this chapter.
