Tina and Derek are in couple's therapy where Tina complains to the therapist that Derek does not listen to her. It often makes her feel that he simply does not care about her. What are some of the strategies that Derek can use to become a better listener?
What will be an ideal response?
An active listener is someone who both listens to and is genuinely interested in what the other person is saying. The following are some important skills and tips for improving listening skills generally as well as between partners.
Use nonverbal body language, such as looking at the other person, nodding the head, and using sympathetic facial expressions.
Ask questions, making brief comments about what the other person says, and share personal experiences to encourage your partner to continue.
Engage to hear the other person. Listening is not waiting for the other person to stop talking. Fully listen by dropping defenses to hear what the other person is saying.
Paraphrase the other person's message. Summarizing what is said helps the listener to understand what the other person means. The paraphrase allows the person the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings. Paraphrasing may slow down the conversation, which may also make a difficult discussion feel safer.
Create ground rules for important discussions. Examples for these rules might be do not interrupt the other person and the listener needs to paraphrase what the other person has said before beginning to talk.
Make eye contact. In the United States and in some other cultures, eye contact is a vital aspect of face-to-face communication. If a person is from another culture, be aware that eye contact may be invasive, disrespectful, or intimidating.
Be supportive. Comments that are supportive may lessen the other person's fear of talking about sex. These comments create mutual empathy and can increase the love that flows between partners.
Express positive regard for the other person. Conveying care and respect may encourage a person to talk about difficult or painful topics.
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What will be an ideal response?
The pattern of sexual behavior characterized by sexual arousal to individuals, objects, or situations that departs from mainstream normative or typical behavior and may cause serious personal distress, impair daily functioning or harm to others is called ________.
A. hypersexuality B. sexual compulsivity C. sexual fetishism D. mainstream sexuality E. paraphilia
Gina and Ken live together. They followed a careful selection procedure matching education, race, age, religion, and shared values, even political attitudes before they became a couple. They used to share a considerable level of sexual attraction for each other, but they have now become so busy with their careers that they have no time for sexual intimacy. Gina and Ken can be called a:
A. serial monogamist couple. B. hooking-up couple. C. couple of friends with benefits. D. dual income, no sex (DINS) couple. E. couple living apart together.