Louise Thompson has shared an incredibly personal and emotional message to her fiancé Ryan Libbey in a tribute on her Instagram page.
The Made in Chelsea star has gone through a rollercoaster journey over the last two years struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following a difficult birth with her little boy Leo-Hunter.
The reality TV favourite, whose brother is fellow famous face Sam Thompson, ended up in intensive care after she suffered complications in the birth.
As a result of the traumatic experience, the 33 year old also had postnatal anxiety in the months since giving birth.
But while Louise, who was spotted enjoying a rare night out last month, continues on her journey, she remains forever grateful to have fellow Made in Chelsea star Ryan by her side.
Sharing a series of sweet snaps of them taking a stroll near their home in west London, the mum-of-one held tightly onto her husband-to-be's hand.
The star wore an autumnal outfit for her outing, which included a mocha-coloured shirt jacket and a pair of matching work-out leggings.
She then added a pair of UGG sliders and a crocheted cross-body bag. Ryan meanwhile, opted for a casual black T-shirt and trousers, as he gazed deeply into his partner's eyes.
"I needed you to hold my hand at a time when you couldn’t. I didn’t expect answers or fixing, instead I wanted physical contact. Or an ear," Louise began her lengthy caption. "I appreciate back then you weren’t able to give me those things.
"Things were too unpleasant for you too. But now you can. And we hold hands a lot. I learnt something interesting this week about empathy. I believe I had the word slightly misunderstood.
"I used to think that empathy looked like finding common ground with someone…" the star continued. "Bringing yourself down to their level. I thought it meant feeling something strongly, relating to others and finding an emotional connection with someone else.
"I’m a very emotional person and have always found myself getting upset when I see other people upset. I always thought that that made me a particularly ‘empathic person’. You cry, I cry. I can hardly turn on the tv without crying. It turns out empathy isn’t that."
Louise went on to say that she'd received assistance and support from her coach on how to approach the concept, and came to the realisation that empathy was more about "listening" than anything else.
"It’s not necessarily about giving advice or making someone feel less alone, but instead it’s about listening with a non judgmental ear. No assumptions," Louise added. "Just being there. As an empty vessel.
"It’s not about me, it’s about you and the story you’re trying to tell. There’s a reason we have two ears and one mouth."
"Love this – agree it’s about listening," another coach wrote in the comments. "I always say: Empathy is not walking in someone else’s shoes. Empathy is listening to what they’re saying about walking in their shoes.
"We don’t need to have lived someone’s life. People often want to feel heard and listened to."
"Wow my goodness dear Louise such a beautiful full of love fantastic photo," another fan gushed, followed by: "Love seeing you both looking happy again!"
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