1️⃣👂Latent Semantic Synchrony
Research shows LSS effectiveness
Latent Semantic Synchrony (LSS) is the most powerful of the three levels of synchrony. Research shows that short-term and long-term recovery outcomes are positively correlated with increasing LSS. This is the only of the three synchronies that does not have a “taper off” of its effectiveness. The more LSS you can demonstrate, the more effective you’ll be as a supporter.
Reflecting What Someone Means (not just what they say)
This is where Synchrony becomes transformative. When you’re able to step into someone’s world and understand them so deeply that you’re able to expand their understanding of themselves, you’ll be giving someone a gift. When you learn to do this well, people will respond to your reflection and say things like:
That’s exactly what I feel. I’ve never been able to put word to that.
Imagine a map
When someone shares with us, we get a spotlight on an otherwise dark map. We learn about their tangible struggles with depression or self-harm or relational conflict. But it’s not a comprehensive picture of their life or their story or the map of their heart.
Expansive Reflection
When we use LSS, we can shine our own light of understanding on other sections of their map they might not have explored before.
Part of this practice is about dropping ourselves mentally into their world and exploring it through phrases like:
If you feel this, you might be feeling ____.
That might mean that ____.
When I’m in a similar place, I usually ____.
We’ll learn in future lessons that expanding our emotional vocabulary and using metaphors can add other lights to our tool belt.
