Being genuinely listened to is very important in terms of my speech as well as self-worth. I used to feel judged by my parents a lot which made me anxious, and felt like what I had to say wasn't important to them - my mother especially would interrupt often. Having someone properly listen without judgement is like heaven to me. I'm hyper-sensitive to whether someone is paying attention, and if they're not listening, I feel like it's not worth talking to them, then trying to talk creates inner conflict which manifests as disrupted speech. There are ways of creating that space to be properly heard, like a precursory statement, e.g. "I've got to say something," or "What do you think about this?" Kind of priming the other person to listen. There's also standing up for yourself and setting boundaries. At one point in my journey (and after lots of therapy and psychological work) I was talking with my mum who as usual kept interrupting with questions. I had reached a position of strength where I could calmly assert myself instead of getting anxious and shutting down, and said, "Well, if you listen without interrupting, I'll explain." She said "Sorry," actually listened, and conversations with her have been fine ever since. I was past 40 at this point. I wish I'd learned this when I was 15. Conversation is a mixture of talking, listening, non-verbal communication, and negotiation. Good communicators listen and make sure they understand, but also create an environment (external and internal) where their ideas can be expressed. Look beyond speaking to the wider phenomenon of human communication.