empathetic listening
Hearing with understanding
Empathetic listening is hearing someone with the goal of understanding their feelings and perspective, not just their words.
It requires setting aside your own reactions to fully receive what the other person is experiencing: The counselor practiced empathetic listening, letting her client speak without interruption.
The term appears frequently in therapeutic, educational, and management contexts.
- warmthHeat you feel
- open heartEmotional receptiveness, unguarded
- understandingMental comprehension of something
- I hear youAcknowledgment of understanding
- compassionConcern for others' distress
counseling · safe space · attunement · leaning in · bearing witness · nod · soft voice · patience · presence · emotional intelligence · nonjudgment · care · nonverbal cues · validation · summarizing · mirroring · mindfulness · holding space
empathetic listeningignoring
Deliberately not noticing
tuning out · inattention · zoning out · not paying attention · half-listening
empathetic listeninginterrogation
Formal, probing examination
cross-examination · talking over · interrupting · monologuing · lecturing
empathetic listeningstonewalling
Deliberately refusing to respond
mocking · belittling · dismissiveness · invalidation · critical listening