A heart-to-heart conversation cannot take place if the interlocutors are not interested in it. Only mutual attentiveness and sincerity will allow you to talk sincerely. However, there are methods of dialogue, which, unlike sincerity, can be "learned". By controlling your actions during the conversation, you can maintain an atmosphere of trust.
Establish contact with the interlocutor. He should feel that this conversation is important to you. Make sure in advance that the atmosphere is comfortable: make an appointment in a cozy, not crowded place. When starting a conversation, do not rush or interrupt the person. Even if he walks around the bush, not daring to get to the point, do not rush him. You need to patiently wait for the moment when a person becomes liberated and dares to talk about what worries him. At the first stage, just assent, do not be distracted by the phone and do not look around with a bored look, do not try to summarize a friend's monologue with phrases like "in general …", "in short …", etc.
Show your interlocutor that you understand him. This "effect" is very simple to create. It is enough to repeat the key points of the story, as if denoting briefly the main "theses". Don't mindlessly copy phrases. Instead, it is enough to retell in your own words those points of the conversation that seem to you the most emotional and important for your interlocutor.
After the person entrusts you with their experiences and fully speaks out, you can more actively participate in the dialogue. It is the interest in the situation that will help make the conversation soulful. Ask a friend clarifying questions if something seems unclear to you. So you will help him understand the problem, because the exact formulation is already 50 percent of success.
Share with your interlocutor your thoughts on the topic. It is important to first talk about emotions, and only after that move on to a rational assessment of the situation. If you have had similar stories, tell about them - this way you will not only share a useful experience, but also show that you really understand the interlocutor.
If a person asked you about this, give him some advice, try to make the best decision with him. However, it may turn out that a heart-to-heart conversation was needed only in order to throw out emotions. Then it is better not to give recommendations, but simply to listen to the person and share his experiences.
