[jrumbut]

> Someone told me that they were afraid to share their vulnerabilities with me because they feared I might not be comforting or even give them more anxiety.

When we see someone we care about suffering we want to be everything they need, but that's not always possible.

I applaud your plan to work on your ability to comfort and express compassion and hope you find the growth you're looking for, but I just wanted to point out that listening skills and communication strategies may not be the issue here.

For instance, my wife and I can't always understand each other's work problems because we have very different jobs. Meanwhile my boss might be the most compassionate person on earth but I would be uncomfortable discussing personal problems with him.