Hi, Sam here. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Monday. I am so thrilled to be back as we continue our conversation.

So I recently began seeing a therapist and I was thinking about how strange it can feel to reveal so much of yourself to them.

I thought about my experiences in therapy and what's helped me to feel safe and trusting enough to open up about the most intimate details of my life.

And something my husband said really stood out to me. He said, I think of therapists as libraries of human experience. And I immediately love this idea.

Therapists collect human stories and then draw upon them to help each new person that they're working with.

But in order for us to share freely with a therapist or anyone for that matter, there's a certain amount of trust that's needed.

So today, let's talk about what it takes to be able to share in this way.

So take a moment to think about what helps you to feel safe enough to share the most intimate parts of your life with someone.

Being able to confide in others is important because we all need to feel supported and heard.

Author and speaker Brane Brown has a helpful acronym that we can use when cultivating our own capacity to be trustworthy in relationships.

And when we're confused about what we're needing from others, especially when we share.

The acronym she uses is Braving.

It states, choose a sniper to ensure your home or your refrigerator is anymore.

It presents a combined relationship between God, mother and child.

Creative about how these two things to work in.

Mondries refer to being clear about what's on and off limits for you.

In an intimate conversation, this could include staying aware of signs from your mind and body

that tell you to keep something private.

Maybe it's a feeling of tightness in your chest.

Or, a sense of relief might be present if you feel safe enough to share with that person.

Paying attention to how you feel, either physically or emotionally, can help you dictate your boundaries.

Reliability simply means doing our best to keep our commitments and looking at others' patterns

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