If someone needs to hear something—I trust you; I’ve got you; I value your opinion—they often need to hear it because the message isn’t clear.
But saying “You can trust me” doesn’t indicate you’re trustworthy,
Saying you love someone isn’t, of itself, convincing evidence,
Saying you’re listening while behaving like you’re not, isn’t going to make someone feel listened to,
Nor is creating a safe environment simply a matter of designating it so.
It’s your patterns of behaviour that people believe in and respond to the most.
Then again…
Trust in a safe environment can break from one misdeed…
And simply saying you love someone can convince plenty who desperately want to be loved.