Life requires give and take

 It is also important to remember that good listeners

also need to be heard.

Too often in friendships the good listener is always cast in that role and it never gets reciprocated.

This leads to unbalanced relationships and is a drain on the person who always does the listening.

In a therapeutic relationship listening is one sided with the therapist assuming the role of active listener,

but this should not be replicated in our everyday relationships which require give and take.