Question

During her psychotherapy sessions, Justine finds that her therapist often paraphrases what she has said, asks for clarification, and seems to understand her feelings. The therapist’s approach is most consistent with that of ________.

Answer 1

The therapist approach is most consistent with that of active listening.

Explanation:

In therapy, active listening is the technique which requires the listener to fully concentrate with the aim of understanding and remembering what has been said. Like other listening skills, active listening facilitates openness and discourages closed-mindedness from both parties involved.  

With active listening, the listener's body cues should depict that of someone who is concentrating. This means giving full attention to the speaker and be seen to be listening. Any doubt regarding the listener’s concentration may cause hostility from the speaker and conclusion that what they were talking about is not interesting.