Empathetic Listening
Empathetic Listening
1. Provide your summary of how to listen empathetically.
Summary of how to listen empathetically First of all, in order to listen empathetically to someone else you have to know yourself, be very caring, open minded and have the ability to put yourself in their shoes. Kerem et al. (2001) states that, “Empathy goes literally to the heart of the matter. It is understanding and entering into another’s feelings, a sense of shared experience, including emotional and physical feelings. Empathy is validation of the experience of another (as cited in Alberts, et al, 2009).” Donley (2013) states that, “Empathetic listening is about uncovering and experiencing for yourself what other people are experiencing. Remember, you don’t have to agree; just step into their shoes to see the world from their perspective.” She has developed the following three steps to mastering the skill of empathetic listening:
1) Give the person your full attention. Do not multitask. Create the space and time you need to be able to listen completely.
2) Don’t talk while the other person is talking. Your job is to hear what they are saying and listen for the heart of the message, what’s going on behind the words. Be curious. What is the point they are trying to make? What do they want you to know? What do they need from you? Only speak to ask questions that will clarify what you are hearing so that you can better understand them, and so they can better understand themselves.
3) Summarize what you heard. If you didn’t hear correctly or completely, let the person provide additional information and then repeat your understanding of what they have said.
2. Next, explain what it was like for you to actually practice listening empathetically. What went well? What was challenging?
Empathetically Listening Sessions
I conducted two different empathetically listening sessions. My first session
1. Provide your summary of how to listen empathetically.
Summary of how to listen empathetically First of all, in order to listen empathetically to someone else you have to know yourself, be very caring, open minded and have the ability to put yourself in their shoes. Kerem et al. (2001) states that, “Empathy goes literally to the heart of the matter. It is understanding and entering into another’s feelings, a sense of shared experience, including emotional and physical feelings. Empathy is validation of the experience of another (as cited in Alberts, et al, 2009).” Donley (2013) states that, “Empathetic listening is about uncovering and experiencing for yourself what other people are experiencing. Remember, you don’t have to agree; just step into their shoes to see the world from their perspective.” She has developed the following three steps to mastering the skill of empathetic listening:
1) Give the person your full attention. Do not multitask. Create the space and time you need to be able to listen completely.
2) Don’t talk while the other person is talking. Your job is to hear what they are saying and listen for the heart of the message, what’s going on behind the words. Be curious. What is the point they are trying to make? What do they want you to know? What do they need from you? Only speak to ask questions that will clarify what you are hearing so that you can better understand them, and so they can better understand themselves.
3) Summarize what you heard. If you didn’t hear correctly or completely, let the person provide additional information and then repeat your understanding of what they have said.
2. Next, explain what it was like for you to actually practice listening empathetically. What went well? What was challenging?
Empathetically Listening Sessions
I conducted two different empathetically listening sessions. My first session
References: Alberts, Ayers, Busha, Holtz, (2009). Interpersonal Effectiveness: Psychology 180 [1] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/books/978-0-9819328-0-4/id/L1-1-1, Donley, J. (2013). Three steps to empathetically listening by Julie Donley. Retrieved from http://www.evancarmichael.com/Business-Coach/2785/Three-Steps-to-Empathetic-Listening.html#author