EMPATHETIC RESPONSES CONTENT FOCUSED (PARAPHRASE) “I CAN UNDERSTAND HOW

EMPATHETIC REPONSES

EMPATHETIC RESPONSES

Content focused: (Paraphrase)

“I can understand how important this is to you.”

“I hear you saying.”

“Is this what you mean?”

“I can see this is a big problem for you, let’s see how I can help.”

“I think I understand what you’re saying. You want….?”

Feeling focused: (Reflection)

“I think I understand how you feel, you’re most worried about…”

“It must be frustrating…”

“This seems to really be upsetting for you.”

“In other words, you feel…”

Summarization:

“As I understand it, you major issues are…”

“You’re most concerned about…?”

“Are ________ __________ __________ your major concerns?”

Clarification:

“Does this make sense to you?”

“How does this sound?”

“Do you want me to go ahead with…?”

“Is this consistent with your understanding?