Skills to help the person continue talking

Abstract

It doesn’t matter who you are, whether you are a manager, a medical practitioner, a religious leader, a workmate, a neighbour or a friend, if you want to be helpful to someone who is troubled or has a worrying problem, the most important thing you can do is listen to them. You need to listen to them in a way which helps them to feel comfortable about sharing information with you. This is not always as easy as it sounds because many people who have a problem find it difficult to talk to other people about things that might be emotionally troubling for them. It follows that if you are to be helpful in listening to other people you will need to learn some particular skills which are useful in encouraging them to continue talking freely and openly to you.