The Reflective Listening Rule

Reflective listening adds an emotional layer to paraphrasing. Instead of restating content, you name the feeling behind it. "That sounds really frustrating" or "It seems like you felt undervalued" validates the speaker's experience.

The framework is simple:

• Content reflection: "So the main issue is..."
• Feeling reflection: "It sounds like you're feeling..."
• Meaning reflection: "This matters to you because..."

Content reflection shows you heard the words. Feeling reflection shows you heard the person. Meaning reflection shows you understood why the conversation matters to them.