…being present to another’s pain without trying to take away the pain.
…going to the wilderness of the soul with another without thinking you are responsible for finding the way out.
…honoring the spirit as well as the intellect.
…listening with the heart before analyzing with the head.
…bearing witness to another’s struggle without judgment while trusting a solution to emerge from the act of witnessing.
…walking alongside; it is not about leading with expertise or solutions.
…cultivating curiosity and wonder.
Adapted from Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s foundational tenets for companioning people.