Active Listening Techniques

The Active Listening Techniques listed below apply to communication in general and should be adapted to the realities, processes, and procedures of the court.

Technique

Purpose

Your Response

Examples

Encouraging

To convey your interest
To encourage the person to keep talking
To make clear you have not taken sides

Don't agree or disagree

Use neutral words

Get all the relevant information

"Can you tell me more?"

"I want to get this straight."

"Have you told me everything?"

Clarifying & Restating

To help make clear what is being said
To show you are listening and that you understand what is being said
To pull together important ideas and facts
To restate what the speaker has said so she/he hears it in a new way

Ask questions

Restate basic ideas, feelings, and facts in a simple and clear way

Restate to make sure you've got it and to clear up any inconsistencies

"When did this happen?"

If I understand correctly, there were two incidents, on two different days."

Validating

To verify people's experience and feelings

Acknowledge the value of what upsets them and their feelings

Show appreciation for their efforts and actions

"I understand why that would upset you."

Summarizing

To clarify by putting together important ideas, facts, and issues
To review so additional progress can be made
To identify the basic underlying problem

Restate major ideas and feelings

Identify the central conflict in all the material presented

"These seem to be the three key ideas you have expressed."