Active Listening Terms

Paraphrasing: when we repeat back what the survivor has said in a shortened form. 
Paraphrasing allows the survivor to know that we have heard them and can also 
highlight what has been said

Silence: giving quiet time to let a survivor think, and letting them know you 
are there whenever they are ready to talk again

Building on Past Successes: exploring coping strategies for building on previous 
strengths, success, and resiliency often done through a simple question such as, 
“what has worked for you in the past?” 

Validation & Encouragers: natural responses that acknowledge a survivor has been 
heard and validates how they are feeling

Clarifying & Checking-In: repeating back what we think we have heard to make sure 
it is right, and also used to identify and clarify a survivor’s feelings

Reframing: turning a negative statement into a neutral or positive one

Summarizing: summing up thoughts, feelings, or a plan at the end of a conversation

Mirroring: reflecting back the emotions and thoughts of what someone has been sharing, 
and using words and a tone that match the emotions and thoughts shared

Questions: using open-ended and “how” questions to get to underlying thoughts, feelings, 
and for sharing more information or to encourage thinking deeper about something

Normalizing & Prioritizing: letting the survivor know that what they are feeling is 
normal such as, “it’s natural to be having these feelings, you get to decide how 
you’d like to move forward” 

Opening & Closing: providing a warm genuine welcome, clear understanding of what 
you are working on together, and taking the time to develop next steps together 
that allows for creating a safe and predictable space for the survivor

Breathing: a way for helping a survivor slow down and stay present in the moment, 
helping them to check-in with themselves, reflect, and stay mindful in the moment

© 2019 Resource Sharing Project and National Sexual Violence Resource Center. All rights reserved

This publication is supported by Grant No. 2009-TA-AX-K011 awarded by the Office on Violence Against 
Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed 
in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the 
Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.