The fastest way to become a great listener is to act like a professional listener, such as a clinical psychologist who uses listening to heal another person. Therapists drop their own point of view to concentrate on the patient’s point of view. The therapist listens totally, drawing out more information rather than thinking about a response.

This week, take time to practice professional listening when you are in a conversation in which the other person talks about some problems or concerns.
Specifically, practice the following:

1. Hold a steady gaze on the person’s left eye (not the nose or face, but the left eye)—use a soft gaze, not a hard stare.

2. Remove your thoughts and opinions from the conversation—quell your mind chatter and your desire to say something in response.

3. Suspend judgment—rather than critically analyzing what is being said, feel empathy as if you are walking in the other person’s shoes.

4. Draw out the other person’s thoughts with brief questions and paraphrasing. In your post, explain how it went. How did the person respond to your listening? What did it feel like to you?

Your original posts should each be between 125-200 words and contain original ideas, suggestions, and questions. They also should be impeccably proofread and devoid of errors. If you reference another source, a full MLA citation needs to be included in the post.