Intentional Listening

Lena Camilletti
Sep 8, 2018 · 2 min read

By: Lena Camilletti

It’s important to remember that just because we care about a certain community, and may even have experience within it, we aren’t entitled to engage without genuine, authentic intention. This makes how we approach and integrate into the community that much more significant.

I think setting a list of intentions can be helpful when attempting to be part of a any community, or group — do you believe you’ll be playing a particular role? Will your presence be wanted? What is your purpose?

My intentions for integrating with the addiction community: to be an intentional listener, provide a helpful presence, and engage with human connection.

Intentional Listener:

I imagine getting to know our communities will be similar to beginning grad school — you’ll have the opportunity to meet an overwhelming amount of people, exchange “hello”s and “how are you”s with several, remember a few names at first, but in a short time, gain the memory of many more. But, there comes a point when you’ve found your few people that you vibe with — you’re developing a different level of trust with them, learning where they’re from, how they ended up here, and why, and you intentionally listen, because you genuinely want to know. That’s how I hope to listen to the addiction community. Experiencing addiction is wildly individual — there is every story will be different, and worthy of being told.

A Helpful Presence:

I think being a helpful presence is developed through intentional listening. You only know how to be a supportive if you’re able to understand the specific needs of someone given their experience, and one of the only blanketed protocol when being a helpful presence is to be kind — but that kindness must be expressed differently human to human, so it’s a beneficial for the individual.

Human Connection:

Being an intentional listener and helpful presence is ultimately rooted in genuine human connection. Taking the time to know someone, their experiences, and goals often alters the way in which you interact with them. One conversation or interview is typically not enough to build a connection that lasts beyond that single moment — it takes much more time, energy, and patience, but human connection is what makes what we’re all working toward, worth it.

As I begin to research and understand the needs the addiction community, I want to have a constant awareness of how I’m initiating and maintaining relationships — human connection will be my main priority.

Lena Camilletti

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Pursuing an M.A. in Social Journalism | Newmark J School at CUNY