🎙️ Episode 17 - The Psychology of Being Heard: How to Speak So People Actually Listen
Have you ever explained something perfectly clearly - only to discover that the other person heard something completely different?
Good communication isn't simply about choosing the right words. It's about understanding how another human being receives them.
In this episode, Adele and Dr Lindsay Aikman explore the psychology of speaking effectively - from relationships and difficult conversations to workplaces, friendships and families.
Together, they unpack:
🗣️ Why how you say something matters as much as what you say and how tone, timing, language and delivery can completely change the message someone receives
🧠 What happens when people feel threatened or criticised and why defensiveness can make it almost impossible for your message to land
💬 How to say difficult things without immediately putting someone on the defensive
❓ The power of better questions - why curiosity can elicit far more information than interrogation, assumption or advice
🎯 Knowing your real agenda - what are you actually trying to achieve from this conversation: connection, understanding, influence, reassurance, agreement or simply being right?
❤️ Speaking from your own experience rather than telling another person what they're thinking, feeling or doing wrong
⚡ Why emotional regulation matters before communication - because sometimes the conversation isn't failing because we lack the right words; we're simply too activated to use them well
🤝 Creating psychological safety - how the way we communicate can either invite another person towards us or make them protect themselves from us
🌱 Learning to influence without controlling - communicating your needs and perspective while leaving enough space for another person to have theirs
Ultimately, being heard isn't about speaking louder, explaining yourself for longer or winning the argument.
It's about learning to communicate in a way that makes it possible for another person to stay open enough to actually receive you.
🎧 Join us for a practical, psychologically informed conversation about how to speak with greater clarity, intention and impact — and why changing the way you communicate can completely change what happens next.
Topics Covered: Communication, Difficult Conversations, Psychological Safety, Conflict, Emotional Regulation, Relationships, Workplace Communication, Asking Better Questions, Defensiveness, Influence, Interpersonal Psychology.
