Having a friend who really cares and listens is a great help.  See if you can spot it in your mates:

• Watch for people who ask questions about what you’ve said or want more detail
• See if they repeat some of what you say back to you
• Does it feel like they are paying attention?
• Did they seem to hear everything you said, or just some of it?
• If you’ve got a mate that passes most of these tests, you’re in luck.