Validation is the process of understanding a patient's responses in the context of their life situation and finding truth in their perspective. It involves observing without judgment, accepting the patient, and validating their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and physiology. Validating the patient helps balance change strategies, prevents invalidation, and teaches self-validation. There are six levels of validation that range from listening without judgment to genuinely responding to the patient's perspective. Validation is an important acceptance strategy in therapy.

1. VALIDATION
(acceptance strategy)

2. VALIDATION-what is it?
 Patient’s responses make sense and are
understandable in the context in which
they occur-within the client’s current life
situation
 Search for, recognise, reflect the validity
in her response to events

3. How to validate
1. Observe
2. Accept
3. Place judgments to one side
 Find the nugget of gold in the bucket of
sand

4. Why?
To balance change strategies
(know when to switch)
To prevent invalidation
To teach client to validate herself

5. What to validate?
thoughts feelings
behaviour
physiology

6. Emotional validation
Provide opportunities to express E
Teach observing and labelling emotions
‘Read’ emotions-at beginning-multiple-
choice questions
Communicate validity of emotions
Warranted vs unwarranted emotions
Avoid trying to make client feel better

7. Behavioural validation
Teach behaviour
observation and labelling

8. Physiological validation
Observe and describe
physiological responses
At first, feed back observations,
later ask client to observe &
describe
Validate physiological responses

9. Cognitive validation
Teach observe and describe
thoughts
Facts vs interpretations/beliefs
Find kernel of truth
Wise mind
Respect different values of client
and therapist

10. Cheerleading
Validate client’s inherent ability
 Assume the best
 Provide encouragement
 Focus on capabilities: belief in patient,
in team
 Modulate external criticism
 Provide praise and reassurance
 Stay near

11. 6 levels of validation
 1 Stay awake, look and listen, judgments aside
 2 Say back to the person what they have said to
you (reflect), check accuracy
 3 Saying what the person might have
felt/thought/wanted to do (articulate)
 4 It’s normal/understandable (normalise)
(Past context)
 5 It’s normal/understandable (normalise) (Present
context)
 6 Honest response (radical genuineness)