You do not know what to say
So you say nothing, or the wrong thing.
Courses
See what you would learn
Be there for someone in a hard time without making it about you.
A course for the friend, partner or relative of someone going through something difficult. It covers how to be present, what helps and what does not, and when and how to encourage more support than you can give.
Open Cadence on the App Store, type the sentence when it asks what you want to learn, and answer a few setup questions. Free to start. Android testers can request early access.
Type this when Cadence asks what you want to learn
Someone close to me is going through a hard time and I do not know how to help. Teach me how to be present, what to say and not say, and when to encourage more support.
Change any word so it fits your situation. The course is built from what you type and a few setup questions.
- Best for
- Relationships
- Prerequisites
- None. Bring the situation you have.
- Course length
- 7 to 30 lessons, sized to your goal
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Format
- Read it, or play the audio
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Before the course is built
Setup asks about your situation first.
Lesson 1 opens on the moment you describe, and the examples use your role. For this request, expect questions like these.
- Who is struggling, and with what, broadly: loss, illness, mental health, a life crisis?
- What do you tend to do: fix, cheer up, avoid, or hover?
- Are you worried they need professional help?
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
You keep trying to fix it
And they keep withdrawing.
You are getting exhausted
Supporting them is taking everything you have.
Course arc
Where the course goes, in order.
Cadence writes the lessons for you, so the exact path follows your answers. This is the ground a course built from this sentence covers.
01 / 06What helps
Presence, practical support and being asked, in that order.
What does not
Silver linings, advice and comparisons, and why they land badly.
Words
What to say when nothing feels right.
Practical support
Specific offers over let me know if you need anything.
Encouraging professional help
Raising it gently, and what to do if they refuse.
Looking after yourself
Supporting someone without burning out.
What changes
What you will be able to do, and what you will stop believing.
You will be able to
Be present usefully
Show up in ways that actually help.
Know what to say and not say
Avoid the phrases that hurt and use the ones that land.
Encourage more help
Raise the idea of professional support without it sounding like rejection.
Ideas this course corrects
You need to know what to say
You need to be there. Most people remember who showed up, not what they said.
Cheering someone up is support
It often tells them their feelings are unwelcome. Sitting with the feeling helps more.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
Is this a fixed course?
No. Cadence builds the course when you type the sentence and answer a few setup questions, so the lessons follow your situation. This page describes what a course built from this request covers. You see the whole path before Lesson 1.
Who is this course for?
A course for the friend, partner or relative of someone going through something difficult. It covers how to be present, what helps and what does not, and when and how to encourage more support than you can give. It sits under Relationships in the Life & growth part of the library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No. Setup asks what you already know and where you want to use it, and the course starts from there. Bring a real situation if you have one; the examples are built around it.
How long does it take?
Courses run 7 to 30 lessons of about 10 minutes, sized to what you asked for. One lesson a day is the intended pace, and you can go faster. Lessons can be read or played as audio.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Type it, answer a few questions, open Lesson 1.
The sentence to type
Someone close to me is going through a hard time and I do not know how to help. Teach me how to be present, what to say and not say, and when to encourage more support.
Open Cadence on the App Store, type the sentence when it asks what you want to learn, and answer a few setup questions. Free to start. Android testers can request early access.