What it is
Emotional invalidation is any response that tells a person, or that they hear as telling them, that their emotions are wrong, unacceptable or out of place. A clinical study by Zielinski and colleagues defines it as interactions that “communicate and/or are perceived to communicate” that message. So it depends on what the person perceives, not just on what you meant. One quick exchange can count.
Marsha Linehan described the “invalidating environment” in the 1990s as part of her work on dialectical behavior therapy: a home where a child’s feelings keep getting dismissed or punished.
How it shows up for me
“You’re overreacting” comes out of me faster than I’d like. Even when I think it’s true, saying it first never helps. “That sounds hard” first, and then we can talk about the size of it.