Episode Summary

This episode of Blindsight takes a deep dive into one of the most essential yet difficult skills in mental and emotional health: active listening. Host Bill Lundgren and returning guest-turned-co-host Bethany Joy Boring explore how silence, curiosity, and emotional safety shape meaningful connection—especially within the blind and low-vision community, where non-visual cues and communication dynamics differ from the sighted world.

Bill and Bethany demonstrate a live role-play showing how quickly conversation can derail when someone asserts dominance, makes assumptions, or stops listening. They break down the moment tension begins, the bodily sensations that signal emotional shifts, and the way triggers—both spoken and unspoken—shape responses.

Listeners learn:

Why silence can be a powerful connector rather than something to fear

How to approach storytelling only with people who feel safe

How to gently redirect when someone interrupts, overpowers, or shifts the focus

The emotional cost of constantly “filling space” when you are blind or hard of hearing

How to identify your “marble jar people” (those who can hold your real story)

The importance of permission: knowing when someone wants listening, guidance, or simply presence

This conversation is honest, practical, and deeply human—offering strategies for better communication, better boundaries, and better emotional awareness.

Contact Info

Guest / Co-Host

Bethany Joy Boring — Mental Health Consultant & Author

Aftersight

Website: aftersight.org

Feedback & questions: [email protected]

Phone: (720) 712-8856

Producer

Jonathan Price — Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

Show Credits

Host: Bill Lundgren

Co-Host: Bethany Joy Boring

Producer: Jonathan Price

An Aftersight Original Podcast

4) Chapter Markers

00:00 — Opening & Topic Introduction

01:12 — Why Active Listening Is Hard Today

02:40 — Role-Play: When Communication Breaks Down

04:52 — Identifying the Moment Tension Begins

07:18 — How Body Signals Warn Us Early

09:40 — Practicing Awareness Before Hard Conversations

12:14 — The Listener’s Job: Curiosity, Not Assumption

14:22 — Staying Calm When Conversations Escalate

16:47 — How Vocabulary Changes Emotional Tone

18:56 — Safety, Storytelling, and Permission

21:11 — “I’m With You”: The Power of Silent Presence

23:18 — Bill’s Example: Silence as Support

25:32 — Why Silence Scares Us

27:46 — Protecting Yourself When You Can’t See/Hear

30:05 — When Pretending to Be OK Becomes Default

32:31 — How to Ask: “Do You Want Listening or Advice?”

34:53 — Not Everyone Is a Safe Person, and That’s OK

36:58 — Responding When Someone Minimizes Your Story

39:22 — Setting Boundaries Gently

41:32 — You Don’t Have to Stay in Unsafe Conversations

43:54 — Circles of Intimacy & “Marble Jar People”

46:16 — Sharing Vulnerability Only With the Right People

48:14 — Your Story Matters

50:40 — Closing Reflections & Next Episode Teaser