Many years ago, a teenage boy named David arrived at a children's institution in England. He was referred to me, a (an)1 , by his head teacher. David had lost both his parents and was understandably sad and2 . I met with him twice, but he3 silent.
I recognized the limitations of psychology in4 his deep pain but found that empathetic listening and shared activities like chess provided a safe space for David to5 . So we played every Wednesday afternoon in6 and without any eye contact. I7 to ensure he won once or twice, providing a sense of8 and success.
Gradually, David began to9 . He arrived early and10 participated in setting up the chessboard. It seemed as if he enjoyed my11 _. I thought David needed someone to share his pain with, and he sensed my respect for his12 . Months later, I watched David13 over the chessboard. Suddenly, he looked up at me and said, "Your14 ." After that, he started talking and making friends. He wrote to me about his bike rides and plans to get into university. Later, he really started living his own life.
David showed me how one can reach out to another person without15 , just with a hug, a shoulder to cry on, or an ear that listens.