paraphrasing definition in counseling

Sign up for your FREE e-newsletter

You’ll regularly recieve powerful strategies for personal development, tips to improve the growth of your counselling practice, the latest industry news and much more.

We’ll keep your information private and never sell, rent, trade or share it with any other organisation. And you can cancel anytime.

Encouragers, Paraphrasing and Summarising

A counsellor can encourage a client to continue to talk, open up more freely and explore issues in greater depth by providing accurate responses through encouraging, paraphrasing and summarising. Responding in this way informs the client that the counsellor has accurately heard what they have been saying. Encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are basic to helping a client feel understood.

Encouragers, also known as intentional listening , involve fully attending to the client, thus allowing them to explore their feelings and thoughts more completely. Paraphrasing and summarising are more active ways of communicating to the client that they have been listened to. Summarising is particularly useful to help clients organise their thinking.

The diagram below shows how encouragers, paraphrases and summaries are on different points of a continuum, each building on more of the information provided by the client to accurately assess issues and events.

Encouragers – Encouragers are a variety of verbal and non-verbal ways of prompting clients to continue talking.

Types of encouragers include:

• Non-verbal minimal responses such as a nod of the head or positive facial expressions
• Verbal minimal responses such as “Uh-huh” and “I hear what you’re saying”
• Brief invitations to continue such as “Tell me more”

Encouragers simply encourage the client to keep talking. For a counsellor to have more influence on the direction of client progress they would need to make use of other techniques.

Paraphrases – To paraphrase, the counsellor chooses the most important details of what the client has just said and reflects them back to the client. Paraphrases can be just a few words or one or two brief sentences.

Paraphrasing is not a matter of simply repeating or parroting what the client has stated. Rather it is capturing the essence of what the client is saying, through rephrasing. When the counsellor has captured what the client is saying, often the client will say, “That’s right” or offer some other form of confirmation.

Example: I have just broken up with Jason. The way he was treating me was just too much to bear. Every time I tried to touch on the subject with him he would just clam up. I feel so much better now. Paraphrase: You feel much better after breaking up with Jason.

Summaries – Summaries are brief statements of longer excerpts from the counselling session. In summarising, the counsellor attends to verbal and non-verbal comments from the client over a period of time, and then pulls together key parts of the extended communication, restating them for the client as accurately as possible.

A check-out, phrased at the end of the summary, is an important component of the statement, enabling a check of the accuracy of the counsellor’s response. Summaries are similar to paraphrasing, except they are used less frequently and encompass more information.

• July 21, 2009
• Communication , Counselling Process , Encouraging , Microskills , Paraphrasing
• Counselling Theory & Process

Comments: 23

Yeah,must say i like the simple way these basic counselling skills are explained in this article. More of same would be most welcome as it helps give a better understanding of the counselling process and the methods and techniques used within the counselling arena

I really find this information helpful as a refresher in my studies and work. Please keep up the excellent work of ‘educating’ us on being a better counsellor. Thank you!

Wonderfully helpful posting. Many thanks!

Thankyou so much. I am doing a assignment at uni about scitzophrenia and needed to clarify what paraphrasing truly meant. Cheers

So helpful to me as a counselor.

Thankx so much for these post. I’m doing Counselling and Community Services and I need to clarify what summarising and paraphrasing really meant. Once again thank you, this information it’s really helpful

Hello Antoinette friend and doing guidance and counselling need uo help about this question With relevent examples explain the following concepts as used in communicating to clients. (I;listening to verbal messages and using encouraged minimal prompts. 2)making use of non verbal communication and exhibiting attending behaviours using Gerald Eganis macro skill SOLER/ROLES. 3.paraphrasing 4.identifying and reflecting feelings and emotions from the clients story 5.summarizing 6.confrotation 7.counsellor self disclosure 8.asking open and close open ended concept 9.answering questions 10.clarifying

thanks I am doing a counselling community services at careers Australia

Really love the explanations given to the active listening techniques it was really useful and helpful good work done.

Helpful. Thanks!

I really like hw u explain everything in to simple terms for my understanding.

Hai ,thanks for being here .Am a student social worker,i need help an an able to listen to get the implied massages from the client.and to bring questions to explore with them .I love to do this work .What shall I do.how do i train my self in listening.

really appreciate.

You explanation of these three basic intentional listening are very helpful. Thank you for remained us.

very helpful indeed in making the client more open and exploring the issues more deeply

Very important cues.thanks

the article was helpful .thank you for explaining it in more clear and simple words.appreciate it alot .

I need to write about what counselling words mean ie I understand summarising and paraphrasing any more would be useful as I’m near the end of my course

I have a role play exam tomorrow on counselling and find above explanation very useful. thanks for sharing.

This explanation is clear and precise. Very easy to understanding than the expensive textbook. Please keep posting as this helps a lot. Thanks and God bless.

Pingback: Summarising In Counseling (a Comprehensive Overview) | OptimistMinds

One of the simple and memorable descriptions of this I’ve read, thanks so much!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Paraphrasing

What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is repeating back your understanding of the material that has been brought by the client in your own words. A paraphrase reflects the essence of what has been said.

We all use paraphrasing in our everyday lives. If you look at your studies to become a counsellor or psychotherapist, you paraphrase in class. Maybe your lecturer brings a body of work, and you list and make notes: you’re paraphrasing as you distil this down to what you feel is important.

The Power of Paraphrasing:

• The speaker feels heard.
• Helps the listener to adjust frame of reference.
• Highlights areas of high importance.
• Acts as an invite to explore deeper.
• Can indicate an end to the current discussion.

How Paraphrasing Builds Empathy

How does paraphrasing affect the client-counsellor relationship? First of all, it helps the client to feel both heard and understood. The client brings their material, daring to share that with you, and you show that you’re listening by giving them a little portion of that back – the part that feels the most important. You paraphrase it down. If you do that accurately and correctly, and it matches where the client is, the client is going to recognise that and feel heard: ‘Finally, somebody is really listening, really understanding what it is that I am bringing.’

This keys right into empathy, because it’s about building that empathic relationship with the client – and empathy is not a one-way transaction. Carl Rogers (1959, pp. 210-211) defines ‘empathy’ as the ability to ‘perceive the internal frame of reference of another with accuracy and with the emotional components and meanings which pertain thereto as if one were the person, but without ever losing the “as if” conditions’. In other words, we walk in somebody’s shoes as if their reality is our own – but of course it’s not our reality, and that’s where the ‘as if’ comes in. I’ve heard this rather aptly described as ‘walking in the client’s shoes, but keeping our socks on’!

Empathy is a two-way transaction – it’s not enough for us to be 100% in the client’s frame of reference and understanding their true feelings; the client must also perceive that we understand. When the client feels at some level that they have been understood, then the empathy circle is complete.

For example, if you watch a TV programme in which somebody achieves something that is really spectacular, you may find yourself moved for this person. You’re almost there with them on this journey, and as they’re receiving their award or their adulation, and the audience is clapping for what they’ve done, you may even be moved to tears. But the person on the TV cannot perceive your reaction – the empathy is empty, because it’s one-way.

So empathy is effective only if your client feels heard and understood – i.e. they sense that empathic connection. Using paraphrasing is a way of completing the empathy circle – a way of letting them know that we see and hear them.

Other Benefits of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing also highlights issues by stating them more concisely. This is focusing down: it invites the client to go and delve deeper into part of what they have said. We can also use paraphrasing to check out the accuracy of our perception as a counsellor.

Below is an example of my use of paraphrasing to clarify my understanding of what was brought. This shows how paraphrasing affects the therapeutic relationship; because the paraphrase fits well for the client, she feels heard and understood. As this happens, the material deepens.

I really have a battle with doing things for the impression that others will have of me, or the approval that I will get from other people for what it is that I do. So much so that I will very often override myself, my family, so that I can gain the acceptance, I guess, of other people, whether friends, family or clients in a work situation. I will always favour what the action would be that would gain that acceptance, that would not bring up any sort of confrontation or maybe have a conflict situation arise from it.

So, I guess, I’m eager to please, wanting to make sure that all things are well and smooth – and that I’m liked and accepted with whatever the transaction or situation may be.

Counsellor:

As you’re saying that, it really feels like a lot of hard work. A lot of hard work, pre-empting whatever it is that they would have expected of you, and then ‘sacrificing’, I guess, is a word that came up for me – sacrificing your own wants/needs to be able to meet what you perceive is expected of you. Have I understood that correctly?

Yeah, the word ‘sacrifice’ really captures the feeling that comes up for me when I sort of reflect and look over that kind of situation. So often, I will sacrifice my own wants and my own desires…

In this example, the client really resonated with the word ‘sacrifice’, which the counsellor introduced as a paraphrase; she really felt understood. And it’s interesting to note that throughout the rest of this stimulated session, the word ‘sacrifice’ became almost a theme.

Another paraphrase in this example was ‘hard work’. Although the client hadn’t used this phrase herself, she was presenting visually as weighed down. Her shoulders looked heavy as she was bringing the material. So the counsellor was paraphrasing, not only the words of the narrative, but digging deeper, looking for the feelings and paraphrasing the whole presence of that client within that relationship.

Listening for ‘the Music behind the Words’

Here is another example of paraphrasing, from the same skills session. Try to see if you can hear, as Rogers would put it, ‘the music behind the words’, where the counsellor looks deeper than just the words the client is bringing, paraphrasing back their whole being.

Out of my own will or my own free choice, I would put that aside and favour what would be accepted – or what I think someone else would rather I do. And sometimes it’s hard. It leaves me with a situation of not knowing if they actually really realise what it is that I sacrificed, that I’ve given up, so that it can fall into what I think they would prefer in that situation.

It feels confusing to you in that situation of whether they even perceive what it is that you are sacrificing, what you’re giving up. That it almost feels like you’re giving up part of yourself to match what you think they may want or need from you. And I kind of got the feeling, as you were saying that you wonder if they even see that.

Yeah. As I was sort of verbalizing and talking through that, I actually realised that even within that sacrifice, it’s all my perception of what I think they might want me to do. And just saying that is actually a bit ridiculous. Because how am I to know what it is that they want or need to do? So here I am – disregarding my own desires, for lack of a better word – to do something I assume someone else would want me to do instead.

I thought it was really interesting that this client started off in what felt to me like an external locus of evaluation. She was confused, and wondering whether the people she refers to understood what she was giving up to meet their perceived expectations. Immediately after the counsellor’s paraphrase, this client experienced a moment of movement from an external to an internal locus of evaluation, where she realised it was all about her own perceptions and responsibility. In this way, she went from being powerless to having the power to change this situation.

Next Steps in Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is so much more than just repeating the client’s words back to them using your own words. Although it might feel very simplistic – and there’s often a tendency to paraphrase the narrative/story that the client brings, rather than their feelings/process – there’s so much more to it than that and so much deeper that we can go. There’s real power in paraphrasing.

I suggest that you:

• Practice active listening and paraphrasing in your day-to-day life.
• Practice paraphrasing in your own stimulated skills sessions.
• Try to look for the full person when paraphrasing, e.g. not just the client’s words, but also their body language, facial expressions, and way of being within the counselling relationship.
• Record these sessions (with your peer’s consent) and listen back to them.
• Speak to your peers about paraphrasing.
• Evaluate each other’s skills and explore how you might paraphrase more effectively.
• Look whether you’re getting empathic connection within your paraphrasing.
• Search out moments of movement when you paraphrase.
• Ask how paraphrasing affects both the client and you, as a counsellor.

Paraphrasing is definitely something that should be debated. I hope that this chapter will encourage you to go out there with a new passion for – and a new way of looking at – paraphrasing!

Alternatives to Questions

What else can we use when we’re not sure what exactly a client means? For example, if a client was speaking about his brother and father, he might say: ‘I really struggle with my brother and my father. They don’t get on, and at times he makes me so angry.’ Who does the client mean by ‘he’: the brother or the father? Not knowing who makes him angry means I cannot be fully within the client’s frame of reference.

I could ask: ‘Sorry, just so I can understand, who it is that you’re angry at – your father or your brother?’ This risks ripping the client out of that emotion (the anger). Instead, we could use reflection: ‘He makes you so angry.’ This invites the client to expand on what he has said. He might say: ‘Yes, ever since I was a young boy, my dad was always…’ In this case, I didn’t need to ask a question – we’re still in the feelings, and I’ve got what I needed in order to be fully in the client’s frame of reference.

Of course, the client might not reveal the information I need in his answer – for example, if he responded to my reflection: ‘He does. He makes me really angry – in fact, so angry that I don’t know what to do about it anymore.’ In that case, I would still need to put in a question: ‘Is this your dad or your brother that you’re referring to?’

Rogers, C, 1959. ‘A Theory of Therapy, Personallity, and Interpersonal Relations, as Developed in the Client-Centered Framework’, in S Koch (ed.),  Psychology: A Study of a Science  (Vol.3), New York: McGraw-Hill, 184-256.

© Counselling Skills - Privacy Policy • Refund Policy • Contact Us

Paraphrasing in Counselling

Table of Contents

In essence, paraphrasing is a micro skill that allows counselors to create an authentic bond with their clients  Together with encouraging and summarizing, paraphrasing plays a crucial role in therapeutic communication, making the client feel understood and listened to.  In other words, paraphrasing in counseling is what makes the client say, “ Finally, someone who understands what I’m going through.” Without this essential ingredient, counseling sessions would be nothing more than dull and impersonal exchanges of ideas.

What is the difference between reflecting and paraphrasing in Counseling?

Paraphrasing and reflecting are close synonyms for most people, both playing a crucial role in any form of communication.

Although paraphrasing and reflecting are fundamental counseling communication skills [1], these two processes can have slightly different connotations in a therapeutic context.

In essence, reflecting is like putting a mirror in front of your clients, helping them gain a better sense of the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors they experienced in a situation that has meaning for them.

Of course, this does not mean you have to parrot their message; simply highlight the link between different ideas and emotions and how one influences the other.

When reflecting, it is vital to match the client’s tone and even body language so that he/she knows that you’ve received the message and the feelings that accompany his/her story.

On the other hand, paraphrasing is about capturing the essence of their story with a brief statement that emphasizes the underlying emotional vibe.

This technique is particularly useful when clients know how ideas and emotions can merge to create a subjective experience, but you want them to feel understood and listened to.

In a way, we could argue that paraphrasing is a brief version of reflecting.

Let’s look at a brief example of paraphrasing in counseling:

Client: I had a huge fight with Andrew last night. At some point, he stormed out and didn’t come back ‘til morning. I tried calling him all night, but his phone was switched off. I was worried sick and thought he did something stupid. This whole thing was like a nightmare that I could not wake up from.

Therapist : It seems this unpleasant event has put you through a lot of fear and anxiety.

Now let’s take a look at reflecting:

Therapist : I can only imagine how terrifying it must have felt to see your partner storm out after a huge fight without telling you where he is going or when he’ll be back.

As you can see, both processes require active listening. But while paraphrasing is a short statement that highlights the emotional tone of the situation, a reflective response captures “the vibe” of the story, along with other essential details.

How do you paraphrase?

Start by listening.

Whether the purpose is to paraphrase or reflect, listening is always the first step.

Through active listening, counselors gain a better sense of what their clients have experienced in a particular situation. Active listening means looking beyond the surface and trying to connect with the client on an emotional level.

To achieve this level of emotional depth, counselors listen with both their ears and their hearts. That means putting themselves in their clients’ shoes and zeroing in on the emotional aspect of the experience.

Focus on feelings and thoughts rather than circumstances

When we listen to another person’s story, the most visible aspects are related to the actual events that he or she has gone through.

But details like names, dates, locations, or other circumstantial issues are less relevant than how the person interpreted and consequently felt in a particular situation.

When it comes to paraphrasing, counselors are trained to look beyond circumstances and identify why a client has chosen to talk about a particular event.

In almost every case, the reason is a set of emotional experiences.

Capture the essence of the message

Although people can experience a wide range of emotions in a given situation or context, there’s always an underlying feeling that defines how they react.

That underlying emotional vibe is the “golden nugget” that counselors are looking to capture and express through paraphrasing.

If done right, paraphrasing in counseling creates an emotional bridge that sets the foundation for authentic and meaningful interactions. This will encourage clients to open up and share their struggles.

Offer a brief version of what has been said

The last step is providing a concise version that highlights the emotional tone of the story.

Once this message reaches the client, it creates a sense of understanding that builds trust and authentic connection.

Long story short, paraphrasing is a valuable tool for cultivating empathy and facilitating therapeutic change.

How does paraphrasing help in communication?

Cultivating clarity (on both sides).

Any form of communication, whether it’s a therapeutic process, a negotiation, or a casual chat between friends, involves exchanging ideas.

And when people exchange ideas and opinions, there’s always the risk of confusion and misunderstanding.

By paraphrasing what the other person has shared, not only that you cultivate empathy, but you also let him/her know that the message has been received and understood correctly.

Research indicates that paraphrasing in counseling helps clients clarify their issues. [2] The more clients understand the inner-workings of their problems, the better they can adjust their coping strategies.

In a nutshell, paraphrasing eliminates ambiguity and paves the way for clarity.

Facilitating emotional regulation

One of the main functions of paraphrasing is to build empathy between two or more people engaged in conversation.

But the effects of paraphrasing on emotions extend way beyond empathy and understanding.

One study revealed that empathic paraphrasing facilitates extrinsic emotional regulation. [3] People who receive empathy through paraphrasing feel understood, and that prompts them to engage in a more intense emotional regulation process.

What starts as extrinsic emotional regulation slowly becomes intrinsic emotional regulation. This is the reason why someone who’s going through a rough patch can feel better by merely talking to a person who listens in an empathic manner and doesn’t necessarily hand out solutions or practical advice.

Paraphrasing can be a vital skill in heated arguments where two people have opposing views that result in emotional turmoil.

If one of them manages to exercise restraint over their intense emotional reactions and tries to paraphrase what the other shares, it could change the whole dynamic of the conversation.

What is the role of paraphrasing in listening?

As we discussed throughout this article, paraphrasing is one of the critical aspects of active listening.

It’s what turns a passive individual who listens only to have something to say when it’s his/her turn to speak into an active listener who understands and resonates on an emotional level.

Furthermore, paraphrasing is a means by which we provide valuable feedback on the topic of discussion, keeping the conversation alive.

It is also the tool that allows therapists to build safe spaces where clients feel comfortable enough to unburden their souls by sharing painful experiences and gaining clarity.

To sum up, paraphrasing in counseling is a vital micro skill that creates an authentic connection, providing clients with the opportunity to experience a sense of understanding.

Knowing there is someone who resonates with your emotional struggles makes your problems seem less burdensome.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Front Psychol

Effects of Empathic Paraphrasing – Extrinsic Emotion Regulation in Social Conflict

Maria seehausen.

1 Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion,” Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany

2 Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany

3 Department of Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany

Philipp Kazzer

Malek bajbouj, kristin prehn.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of empathic paraphrasing as an extrinsic emotion regulation technique in social conflict. We hypothesized that negative emotions elicited by social conflict can be regulated extrinsically in a conversation by a listener following the narrator’s perspective and verbally expressing cognitive empathy. Twenty participants were interviewed on an ongoing or recently self-experienced social conflict. The interviewer utilized 10 standardized open questions inviting participants to describe their perception of the conflict. After each of the 10 descriptions, the interviewer responded by either paraphrasing or taking notes (control condition). Valence ratings pertaining to the current emotional state were assessed during the interview along with psychophysiological and voice recordings. Participants reported feeling less negative after hearing the interviewer paraphrase what they had said. In addition, we found a lower sound intensity of participants’ voices when answering to questions following a paraphrase. At the physiological level, skin conductance response, as well as heart rate, were higher during paraphrasing than during taking notes, while blood volume pulse amplitude was lower during paraphrasing, indicating higher autonomic arousal. The results show that demonstrating cognitive empathy through paraphrasing can extrinsically regulate negative emotion on a short-term basis. Paraphrasing led to enhanced autonomic activation in recipients, while at the same time influencing emotional valence in the direction of feeling better. A possible explanation for these results is that being treated in an empathic manner may stimulate a more intense emotion processing helping to transform and resolve the conflict.

Introduction

Emotion regulation research to date has mainly focused on an individualistic point of view emphasizing control mechanisms in the individual, such as attention deployment, cognitive reappraisal, or the willful suppression of emotional expressions (Gross and Thompson, 2007 ; Butler and Gross, 2009 ; Rime, 2009 ). Compared to the abundance and sophistication of the research pertaining to classification schemes on such intrinsic regulation, systematic analysis of extrinsic emotion regulation and especially of controlled interpersonal affect regulation (i.e., the process of deliberately influencing the emotional state of another person, as opposed to non-conscious affect spreading) is still relatively sparse. Rime ( 2009 ), however, points out that an emotional experience is virtually indivisible of a social response, which in turn is bound to shape and modify the original emotion, so that emotion has to be regarded as a fundamentally interdependent process.

Niven et al. ( 2009 ) propose a classification system for controlled interpersonal affect regulation strategies, derived from Totterdell and Parkinson’s ( 1999 ) classification of strategies to deliberately improve one’s affect. Their final classification distinguishes between strategies used to improve versus strategies used to worsen others’ affect, and between strategies that engage the target in a situation or affective state versus relationship-oriented strategies. The technique of empathic paraphrasing, which is investigated in the present study, can be categorized as aiming at affect improvement and engagement within this classification framework. However, it also contains a relationship-oriented component, as empathic paraphrasing communicates interest and commitment in understanding the other’s perspective, thereby implying that their feelings are valid and worth listening to.

Empathy has been conceptualized in many different ways, usually involving a cognitive and an emotional component (Preston and de Waal, 2002 ; Lamm et al., 2007 ; Decety and Meyer, 2008 ). Cognitive empathy means the ability to take the perspective of another person and infer their mental state, while emotional empathy refers to the observer’s affective response to another person’s emotional state (Dziobek et al., 2008 ).

Paraphrasing or active listening (coined by Carl R. Rogers in Client-Centered-Therapy) is a form of responding empathically to the emotions of another person by repeating in other words what this person said while focusing on the essence of what they feel and what is important to them. In this way, the listener actively demonstrates that he or she can understand the speaker’s perspective (cognitive empathy). Rogers described empathy as the ability to sense the client’s private world as if it were one’s own, but without losing the “as if” quality (Rogers, 1951 ). Empathy is communicated through active listening, which in the Client-Centered approach aspires to evoke personal growth and transformation through providing a space of unconditional acceptance for the client. Rogers considered empathy, positive regard, and congruence both necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change (Rogers, 1942 , 1951 ).

This early notion on the importance of empathy for facilitating therapeutic change has gained ample empirical support over the last decades of research. How empathic a therapist is perceived to be has been identified as a critical factor for positive therapy outcome for both psychodynamically oriented and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies (Bohart et al., 2002 ; Duan and Kivlighan, 2002 ; Orlinsky et al., 2004 ; Marci et al., 2007 ; Elliott et al., 2011 ; Norcross and Wampold, 2011 ). Based on a review of several studies Marci et al. ( 2007 ) describe a significant influence of perceived empathy on mood and general clinical improvement, even when controlling for other factors. Along this line, a meta-analysis conducted by Bohart et al. ( 2002 ) confirms a modest but consistent importance of empathy during psychotherapy. Zuroff et al. ( 2010 ) specifically examined the relationship between patient-reported measures of the three Rogerian conditions (positive regard, empathy, and genuineness) and therapeutic outcome, and found that patients whose therapists provided high average levels of the Rogerian conditions across all patients in their caseloads experienced more rapid reductions in both overall maladjustment and depressive vulnerability (self-critical perfectionism). Farber and Doolin ( 2011 ) conducted a meta-analysis on 18 studies also focusing on the effects of positive regard as defined by Rogers on treatment outcome, and found an aggregate effect size of 0.26, confirming a moderate influence of this factor.

The effectiveness of showing empathy on treatment success has also been assured within the field of medical care. Medical researchers have coined the term clinical empathy , which Mercer and Reynolds ( 2002 ) define as (1) understanding the patient’s situation, perspective and feelings (and their attached meanings), (2) communicating that understanding and checking its accuracy, and (3) acting on that understanding with the patient in a helpful (therapeutic) way. Hence, within the clinical setting empathy entails not only cognitive and affective components but also a behavioral component to communicate understanding to the patient, i.e., through active listening (Davis, 2009 ). Accordingly, the active demonstration of empathy has already been recognized as a crucial component of promoting cooperation in challenging situations within the field of clinical care. Halpern ( 2007 ) stresses that physicians who learn to empathize with patients during emotionally charged interactions can thereby increase their therapeutic impact. By the same token, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that empathic communication effectively helps patients through challenging and fearful situations, ranging from painful dental treatments over psychological problems to pandemic crisis (Cape, 2000 ; Reynolds and Quinn Crouse, 2008 ; Bernson et al., 2011 ). Neumann et al. ( 2009 ) reviewed prior empirical studies on clinical empathy and conclude that clinical empathy is a fundamental determinant of successful medical care, because “ it enables the clinician to fulfill key medical tasks more accurately, thereby achieving enhanced health outcomes ” (Neumann et al., 2009 , p. 344).

In sum, the effectiveness of empathic communication as an extrinsic emotion regulation technique has already gained solid empirical support from psychotherapy and medical research. For the present study, social conflict was chosen as the context to examine the effects of empathic paraphrasing on emotion, for two reasons. Firstly, social conflict is often accompanied by intense emotions such as anger and hurt, and therefore lends itself easily to the investigation of extrinsic emotion regulation, without requiring artificial emotion induction in the laboratory. The setting of real-life social conflict renders it possible to work with “real” emotion, while at the same time concentrating on a non-clinical population. Secondly, empathic paraphrasing is used with vast prevalence within the field of conflict resolution. Paraphrasing is generally applied as one of the most important constitutional elements across all domains of conflict mediation (business mediation, family mediation, community mediation, victim-offender mediation, etc.). Hence, it seems expedient to take a closer look at the emotional effects of a technique so widely used within the context of its most common application.

Social psychology research offers evidence for a connection between dispositional affective empathy as well as dispositional perspective taking and adaptive social conflict behavior (Steins, 2000 ; Gehlbach, 2004 ; de Wied et al., 2007 ). However, there is hardly any research on the effects of being treated in an empathic manner (as opposed to feeling empathy oneself) on conflict behavior. Moran and Diamond ( 2008 ) report positive effects of therapist empathy on parent’s negative attitudes toward their depressed adolescent children. Being treated in an empathic way seems to help parents to also empathize with their children going through a rough time. This is an interesting finding, which contains parallels to social conflict situations and stimulates the question which emotional effects are triggered by being treated empathically, and how these emotional processes aid own empathic reactions toward others.

An interesting train of evidence regarding the socio-cognitive effects of being treated empathically is provided by research on interpersonal mimicry and language matching in social interaction. Numerous studies confirm that non-verbal interpersonal mimicry increases affiliation and positive social judgment as well as pro-social behavior not only toward the mimicker but also toward people not involved in the mimicry situation, indicating that being mimicked not only leads to an increased liking toward the interaction partner, but to an increased pro-social orientation in general (van Baaren et al., 2004 ; Ashton–James et al., 2007 ; Fischer-Lokou et al., 2011 .; Guéguen et al., 2011 ; Stel and Harinck, 2011 ). This is true for the mimickee as well as the mimicker (Stel et al., 2008 ). Maddux et al. ( 2008 ) also report that strategic mimicry in negotiation abets more favorable negotiation outcomes, facilitating both individual and joint gains. This effect was mediated by higher levels of trust toward the mimicker. Ashton–James et al. ( 2007 ) tested several hypotheses on why mimicry promotes pro-social behavior and found that being mimicked during social interaction shifts self-construal toward becoming more interdependent and “other-oriented.” Additionally, mimicry strengthens one’s perception of interpersonal closeness with other people in general.

Correspondingly, language style matching, i.e., similarity in use of function words, has been found to predict relationship initiation and stability (Ireland et al., 2011 ). On a similar vein, according to the interactive-alignment account of dialog, the success of any given conversation depends on the extent of the conversation partners arriving at a common understanding of the relevant aspects of what they are talking about, i.e., a common situation model (Pickering and Garrod, 2004 ). Interlocutors tend to automatically align at different levels of linguistic representation, e.g., through repeating each other’s words and grammar (Garrod and Pickering, 2004 ). This alignment at low-level structure positively affects alignment of interlocutors’ situation models – the hallmark of successful communication – as people who describe a situation in the same way tend to think about it in the same way as well (Markman and Makin, 1998 ; Menenti et al., 2012 ). These findings strongly support the hypothesis that paraphrasing, which involves a certain degree of language matching and bears parallels to mimicry on a verbal level, administrates emotional and socio-cognitive effects on the person being paraphrased.

Regardless the impressive amount of research reviewed above, the specific dynamics of emotional response to empathic paraphrasing are yet largely unclear. Rime ( 2009 ) suggests that socio-affective responses such as comfort and empathy temporarily alleviate a narrator’s negative emotions and generate a deep feeling of relief. However, if no cognitive reframing and re-adjustment of goals, motives, models, and schemas occur, the alleviating effects of socio-affective responses can be expected to be only temporary, because the cognitive sources of the emotional unsettledness have not been transformed. Following this reasoning, the emotional effects of empathic paraphrasing should be expected to be short-lived. On the other hand, Rogers argued that receiving empathy and positive regard are necessary conditions for being able to revise overly rigid structures of the self and assimilate dissonant information and experiences (Rogers, 1942 , 1951 ). Hence, empathic paraphrasing may initiate a cognitive-emotional process progressing in several stages, with emotional alleviation and an increased mental openness and disposition for cognitive restructuring possibly being the first one. In this respect, the present research makes a valuable contribution by moving beyond correlational designs to presenting the first experimental study assessing in detail the emotional effects of empathic paraphrasing in the context of social conflict, hopefully providing a useful basis for further analysis in future studies.

To investigate whether and how empathic paraphrasing in the context of a real-life social conflict extrinsically regulates emotion, we invited participants to an interview in which they were asked to talk about an ongoing or recently self-experienced social conflict with a partner, friend, roommate, neighbor, or family member. The interviewer responded to participants’ descriptions by either paraphrasing (experimental condition following half of the interview questions) or taking notes (control condition). We assessed valence ratings pertaining to participants’ current emotional state as well as skin conductance response (SCR), blood volume pulse (BVP), blood volume pulse amplitude (BVPamp), and heart rate (HR) as indicators of autonomous nervous system (ANS) activity during the interviews. We also recorded the interviews for documentation and analysis.

Psychophysiological and voice parameters have been proven to be reliable indicators for emotional responses (Scherer, 2003 ; Kushki et al., 2011 ). HR is regulated by sympathetic (increase) as well as parasympathetic (decrease) pathways of the ANS (Li and Chen, 2006 ; Kushki et al., 2011 ), and reflects autonomic arousal (Critchley, 2002 ) as well as emotional valence (Palomba et al., 1997 ). BVP is a measure of changes in the volume of blood in vessels and has been associated with affective and cognitive processing (Kushki et al., 2011 ). BVP amplitude has been found to be lower during episodes of increased sympathetic activity (Shelley, 2007 ) and has also been shown to decrease when feeling fear or sadness in several studies (Kreibig et al., 2007 ). SCR depicts changes in the skin’s ability to conduct electricity and is considered a sensitive psychophysiological index of changes in autonomic sympathetic arousal that are integrated with emotional and cognitive states. In addition, SCR reflects vicarious emotional responses to another’s affective state (pain), and is therefore also connected to empathy (Hein et al., 2011 ).

Based on the literature reviewed above, we hypothesized that empathic paraphrasing would lead to a reduction of negative emotion in the situation of talking about the conflict. Specifically, we expected valence ratings to be more positive after paraphrasing. Furthermore, we hypothesized that empathic paraphrasing would lead to lower autonomic arousal, reflected in psychophysiological measures and voice analysis.

Materials and Methods

Participants.

Twenty healthy subjects [10 female; age: mean (M) = 27, standard deviation (SD) = 7.9] participated in this study. All participants were native German speakers, and had recently experienced a potentially ongoing social conflict with a partner, friend, roommate, neighbor, or family member. No conflicts involving physical or psychological violence were included in the study. Due to technical problems, SCR and voice data of four participants as well as BVP data of three participants were lost. Therefore, 20 participants entered the analysis of self-report data, 16 entered voice data analysis and analysis of SCR, and 17 entered analysis of HR and BVP.

The study was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the ethical committee of the Charité University Medicine Berlin. All participants gave written informed consent prior to investigation and received payment for participation.

Interview design and procedure

Participants were told that the study investigates emotion in social conflict, especially how emotions develop while speaking about a social conflict. The interviewer further informed participants that she would try to understand their perspective, and sometimes summarize what she understood so far, while at other times take notes to help her memorize certain things and have them present over the course of the interview.

Interviews consisted of 10 standardized open questions (e.g., “What exactly bothers you about the other person’s behavior?”). After the participant answered each question, the interviewer either paraphrased what had been said, or silently took notes (control condition). Following these paraphrasing interventions or control conditions, respectively, participants were asked to rate their current emotional state. In order to avoid confounding effects resulting from the content of the questions, as well as distortions due to emotional processing over the course of the interview, interventions, and control condition were given alternately during the interview. Half of all participants received an intervention (empathic paraphrasing) after the first question, a control intervention after the second question, and so forth; the other half received a control intervention first. All interviews were conducted by the same female interviewer, who had previously received 190 h of training in conflict resolution and has worked on cases in community mediation, business mediation, and family mediation over several years, applying empathic paraphrasing as one of the core techniques of conflict resolution.

Paraphrasing in the present study was implemented in such a way that after each narration the interviewer briefly summarized the facts of the narration and described her understanding of how the narrator felt, and why, and what she understood was important to the narrator regarding the situation described. To confirm the accuracy of her paraphrasing, the interviewer asked if her understanding was correct at the end of each paraphrase. An example of a paraphrase is given in the Appendix.

All interviews were audiotaped. Interview length was 30.16 min on average (SD = 11.03), depending on how extensively participants answered to the questions. Figure ​ Figure1 1 depicts the interview questions as well as a schematic overview of the interview procedure and measurements.

Interview guideline and procedure .

Data acquisition and analyses

Participants were asked to indicate their current emotional state (valence rating) on an eight-point Likert scale ranging from −4 to 4 (“How positive or negative do you feel right now?”) 10 times during the interview, following the interventions and control condition, respectively. Ratings were analyzed with two-tailed t -tests for repeated measures in IBM SPSS Statistics 20.

Skin conductance response and BVP were recorded continuously with a sampling frequency of 40 Hz using a commercial sampling device ( Biofeedback 2000 X-pert , Schuhfried GmbH, Austria) during the entire interview. Both interviewer’s and participant’s voices were recorded using Audacity 1.2.6 with a highly directional microphone (Shure, WH20 Dynamic Headset Microphone, IL, USA).

Skin conductance data was analyzed in LedaLab V3.3.1. Time frame of analysis was 25 s after the onset of the intervention or control condition. Within this interval, SCR was decomposed by continuous decomposition analysis (CDA; Benedek and Kaernbach, 2010 ). For each participant and interval, the maximum phasic activity was computed (with a minimum amplitude of 0.001 μS) and averaged for each participant across all intervals of both conditions).

Blood volume pulse and BVPamp were analyzed for intervals of 23 s after the onset of intervention or control condition using Matlab 7.1 (The Math-Works, Inc., MA, USA). Data were smoothed using a six point Gaussian filter. BVP was further used for extracting HR data through computing the inverse of the distance between successive peaks of the BVP signal in intervals larger than 0.4 s (Kushki et al., 2011 ). Mean SCR between both conditions (paraphrasing interventions and control conditions), BVP, BVPamp (in%), and HR (in beats per minute) were also analyzed with two-tailed t -tests for repeated measures in IBM SPSS Statistics 20. In addition, we compared BVP, BVPamp, and HR during the paraphrasing intervention and the interview question directly following the paraphrase, with a standard time frame of 4 s for the question phase.

Analysis of voice recordings was done with seewave in R statistics (Sueur et al., 2008 ). Using Audacity 1.2.6., intervals of speech for voice analysis were selected manually by listening to the recorded interviews and cutting out participants’ responses to each question – following an intervention or control intervention, respectively.

Behavioral data

Valence ratings following paraphrasing revealed less negative feelings than ratings following the control condition [ t (19) = 3.395, p  = 0.003]. Effect size is d  = 0.76 (Cohen’s d for repeated measures, calculated with pooled means and standard deviations).

Differences in valence ratings over the conditions are shown in Figure ​ Figure2 2 .

Mean valence ratings (with standard error of the mean) after the empathic paraphrasing and control conditions .

Time series plots over the entire course of the interview show a U-shaped trend in valence ratings over time, which is mainly due to ratings following the control condition (see Figure ​ Figure3). 3 ). However, a repeated measures ANOVA including sequence of intervention over time as an additional factor demonstrates that the effect of the intervention remains untouched by sequence [main effect of sequence F (4, 72) = 1.768; p  = 0.145; main effect of intervention: F (1,18) = 11.400; p  = 0.003 interaction intervention × sequence F (4, 72) = 1.489; p  = 0.215].

Mean valence ratings over the course of the interview, averaged over both conditions (A) and split up into paraphrasing and control condition (B) . At each of the 10 trials, 10 subjects received an intervention and 10 received a control intervention.

Psychophysiological data

Two-tailed t -tests for repeated measures show that participants had a higher SCR during paraphrasing than during the control condition [ t (15) = 2.589; p  = 0.021]. Effect size is d  = 0.65 (Cohen’s d ). Complementary results were found in participants’ HR, which was also higher during paraphrasing than during the control condition [ t (16) = 6.491; p  = 0.000; effect size d  = 1.57]. No significant differences between the conditions for BVP were found [ t (16) = 0.22; p  = 0.812]. However, there was a strong trend for mean BVPamp [ t (16) = −2.119; p  = 0.050; effect size d  = 0.51], which was lower during paraphrasing than during taking notes. Comparing BVPamp during paraphrasing with the interview question directly following the paraphrase, we also found that BVPamp is lower during paraphrasing than during the following interview question [ t (13) = 2.381; p  = 0.033; effect size d  = 0.64]. For HR and BVP, no such difference between paraphrase and subsequent interview question was found. Figure ​ Figure4 4 illustrates differences in psychophysiological measures and voice intensity over the two conditions.

Measures of sympathetic activation (mean values with standard error of the mean) . (A) Skin conductance response (SCR; in μS), (B) Heart rate (in beats/minute), (C) Blood volume pulse amplitude (BVPamp in%), and (D) Voice volume (in dB) during empathic paraphrasing and control condition.

Voice analysis data

Mean intensity/volume of participants’ voices was lower when they replied to an interview question following a paraphrase [ t (15) = −2,466; p  = 0.026; effect size d  = 0.62]. There was no difference in mean fundamental voice frequency (F0) between the conditions [ t (15) = 0.583; p  = 0.568]. F0 range and F0 standard deviation did not differ between the conditions, either (see Table ​ Table1). 1 ). However, speech rate and articulation rate showed trends for slower speech following paraphrasing [speech rate t (15) = −1.86; p  = 0.082; articulation rate t (15) = −2.05; p  = 0.059]. Cohen’s d yielded effect sizes of d  = 0.47 for speech rate and d  = 0.51 for articulation rate.

Means (M), standard deviations (SD), t -, p -, and d -values of all parameters in intervention and control condition .

* and ** indicate significant findings .

Table ​ Table1 1 gives an overview of means and standard deviations of all psychophysiological, voice, and self-report parameters over the two conditions.

The aim of our study was to investigate the short-term emotional effects of empathic paraphrasing in social conflict. To achieve this, we conducted interviews on real-life social conflicts currently experienced by our participants. During the interview, paraphrasing was alternated with a control condition (taking notes). Emotional valence ratings were obtained after each intervention and control intervention and psychophysiological and voice recordings were executed continuously during the interviews. Our hypothesis was that paraphrasing would lead to more positive emotional valence and lower autonomic arousal. Viewing the results of our study as a whole suggests that empathic paraphrasing has a regulating effect on a narrator’s emotions, however, this effect seems to be more complex than originally expected. In sum, we found that participants felt better when the interviewer paraphrased their emotions and perceptions of the conflict. At the same time, and contrary to our expectations, SCR, HR, and BVP amplitude indicate higher autonomic activation during paraphrasing. Voice intensity as well as speech and articulation rate of participants on the other hand was lower when answering to a question following a paraphrase.

Effects of paraphrasing on valence

The self-report ratings demonstrate that participants felt better after the interviewer had paraphrased what they had said. Also, the relatively high effect size suggests that this effect is strong and practically relevant. The interview itself also induced valence effects over time, insofar that participants experienced a decline in emotional valence in the middle of the interview, which recuperated toward the end of the interview. However, due to the alternation of intervention and control intervention, which was again alternated in sequence over participants, this trend does not affect the intervention effect.

This self-reported valence effect is consistent with participants’ lower voice intensity after paraphrasing compared to the control condition. Banse and Scherer ( 1996 ) have linked high voice intensity with negative affects or aggressive speaker attitudes, thereby suggesting a conjunction between high voice intensity and negative emotional valence. Conversely, speech and articulation rate are also slightly lower following an intervention, even though these effects are not statistically significant. Speech rate is defined as the number of spoken units (e.g., words/syllables) per unit of time (minute/second). It is calculated across continuous speech segments, which may include pauses, disruptions, or dysfluency. Articulation rate is an analogical measure based only on fluent utterances, excluding pauses, and dysfluency (Howell et al., 1999 ). Speech rate has been demonstrated to increase when experiencing anger or fear compared to neutral emotional states (Scherer, 1995 ; Rochman et al., 2008 ). Hence, the lower speech and articulation rates following paraphrasing also suggest that participants experienced less negative emotion after paraphrasing.

By the same token, HR was higher during paraphrasing than during the control condition, which according to Palomba et al. ( 1997 ) can also be interpreted as a valence effect. HR deceleration has been associated with negative emotional valence during presentation of unpleasant visual stimuli. In social tasks, HR acceleration has been measured in accordance with intensity of emotion, and to a lesser degree, with emotional valence (Palomba et al., 1997 ). Palomba et al. ( 1997 ) found significant differences in HR deceleration between positive, negative, and neutral visual stimuli, with positive stimuli producing the highest and negative stimuli the lowest HR. Hence, self-report data, voice data, and HR analysis all support the conclusion that emotional valence was positively influenced by offering cognitive empathy through paraphrasing. This effect of paraphrasing on valence bolsters Rime’s ( 2009 ) supposition that being treated empathically while socially sharing negative emotion produces a short-term alleviation of these negative emotions.

Interestingly, the positive impact of mimicry on social judgment mentioned in the introduction (i.e., promoting liking toward the mimicker) suggests the generation of positive emotion as a result of mimicry. This was not the case for paraphrasing in our study: valence ratings in the intervention condition center around the neutral. Nevertheless, it is still possible that paraphrasing led to an increased liking toward the interviewer, while overall affect was neutral. Social judgment was not assessed in the present study, hence, no direct comparison with mimicry is possible. However, it would be interesting to compare the effects of mimicry and paraphrasing on emotion in future studies, as well as to study verbal mimicry or matching more extensively in the context of distressing conversations such as social conflict discussions.

Effects of paraphrasing on arousal

Skin conductance response, HR and BVP amplitude indicate a period of higher autonomic arousal while the interviewer paraphrased what participants had said, compared to taking notes on what they had said. Again, effects sizes of physiological measures suggest medium and in the case of HR, very strong, effects. This is surprising, as we presumed that the lower intensity of negative emotion induced by paraphrasing would be accompanied by lower arousal. Instead, paraphrasing apparently enhanced autonomic arousal. Quite conversely to psychophysiological data, the lower voice intensity following the intervention on the other hand suggests a calming effect of paraphrasing on autonomic arousal, as several studies on emotion and voice quality have associated high voice intensity with high sympathetic autonomic arousal emotions (Scherer, 2003 ). This apparent contradiction between voice data and psychophysiological data appears initially confusing, as vocal changes and changes in SCR both originate in mediated variation of HR, blood flow, and muscular tension caused by an arousing event (Duffy, 1932 ; Laver, 1968 ; Schirmer and Kotz, 2006 ).

However, this discrepancy can be explained by the fact that BVP and SCR were recorded while participants listened to the interviewer paraphrasing, whereas voice analysis was done on recordings of participants’ answers to the interviewer’s next question, following the paraphrase. Thus, the autonomic arousal induced by paraphrasing may already have subsided and passed into a calmer state at the time participants answered the next question. This possibility is difficult to double-check for SCR as this parameter is reactive to speech and will thus be higher while participants are talking, even though autonomic sympathetic arousal induced by the intervention might have diminished already. However, we reassessed this hypothesis using BVP, BVPamp, and HR data, comparing the paraphrasing phase with the subsequent question phase and found a confirming result for BVPamp, although not for the other two measures. Participant had a lower BVP amplitude while listening to the paraphrase compared to listening to the interview question asked in direct succession. This indicates a specific effect of paraphrasing on autonomic arousal, which is not induced by speech in general. It should also be noted that voice intensity following paraphrasing is significantly lower than voice intensity following the control condition. Hence, given the assumption made above is correct, participants’ autonomic arousal is first heightened by listening to the paraphrasing, and after a short period of time lowered to a level below the control state. This is a very interesting finding, for which two possible explanations should be considered.

Firstly, it is possible that empathic paraphrasing not only leads to a reduction of negative emotion in participants, but even induces positive emotions, such as happiness and relief about being listened to and validated. This would explain the initial higher autonomic arousal, which would in this case be due to a short-term experience of positive emotions, in accordance with Rime ( 2009 ) dissipating quickly. However, the behavioral data does not support this notion, as the valence ratings remain in the negative range of the scale even after paraphrasing, only approximating the neutral zero-point. Also, it should be noted that empathic paraphrasing is distinctly different from everyday forms of volunteering empathy or forms of social sharing of emotion as referred to by Rime. Paraphrasing does not offer sympathy or emotional empathy, but instead takes a purely cognitive road by demonstrating that the listener can understand the narrator’s perspective. It does not seem likely that this technique should have the same emotional effects as common social sharing responses such as offering sympathy.

Therefore, as an alternative explanation of our results, it is more conceivable that demonstrating cognitive empathy through paraphrasing temporarily leads to a heightened focus on and increased processing of negative emotion, which might eventually have a resolving effect on these emotions. This explanation seems probable considering the nature of paraphrasing, which entails repeating emotional narrations in a pointed way, thereby sharpening and clarifying the emotional experience. In a study on the relationship between therapist pre-session mood, therapist empathy, and session evaluation, Duan and Kivlighan ( 2002 ) found that intellectual empathy (demonstrating an understanding of the client’s perspective, i.e., empathic paraphrasing) was positively correlated with client-perceived session depth (power and value of the session), but not correlated with perceived session smoothness (comfort and pleasantness of the session). In a way, paraphrasing confronts people with what they are feeling, and thus can stimulate a deeper processing of negative emotion (depth), which temporarily involves higher autonomic arousal and may even be perceived as trying and hard work (smoothness), but eventually abets resolution of the emotional conflict. It however seems unlikely that this process advances automatically without fueling cognitive work such as reappraisal and re-adjustment of goals and schemas. Yet, the clarifying focus on one’s own emotion, accompanied by the non-judgmental stance of empathic paraphrasing might strongly push this process forward. This notion is in line with Rogers’ original claim to evoke personal growth and transformation in the client through empathic paraphrasing, thereby achieving therapeutic change (Rogers, 1942 , 1951 ).

Also, considering the findings from mimicry and language matching research, which have demonstrated that being treated empathically on basal levels such as facial expression and language style promotes attitude and behavior change, it seems plausible that empathic paraphrasing may foster socio-cognitive processes in a similar direction. As paraphrasing contains a deliberate effort to verbally align with the narrator, it may generate a shared situation model and in this way promote successful communication. It would be interesting to consider if empathic paraphrasing, as it bears a certain resemblance to mimicry on a verbal level, can also stimulate pro-social behavior in the person being paraphrased; for instance a greater willingness to open up for the other party’s perspective on the conflict. This would strongly support the idea of paraphrasing stimulating a clearance of negative emotion.

There seems to be wide consensus between psychotherapists of different disciplines that psychotherapy benefits from an optimal level of arousal in the client, similar to the Yerkes–Dodson law, which posits an inverse U-shaped correlation between arousal and performance in complex tasks (Bridges, 2006 ). Markowitz and Milrod ( 2011 ) argue that emotional arousal is central for engaging the client in psychotherapy and making the therapeutic experience meaningful. They claim that the therapist’s ability to understand and respond empathically to negative emotional arousal should be considered the most important one of the common factors of psychotherapy. The therapist provides support and at the same time acts as a model, teaching the client to tolerate, verbalize, and integrate their feelings. Thus, negative feelings diminish and lose toxicity. In a similar vein, the traditional concept of the “corrective emotional experience” by Alexander and French ( 1946 ) describes the transformation of painful emotional conflicts as re-experiencing the old, unsettled conflict but with a new ending. This notion, which has gained ample empirical support, holds that processing emotional conflicts within a safe and empathic environment is necessary for therapeutic change (Bridges, 2006 ).

A resembling road is also pursued by acceptance and mindfulness-based interventions. Research on acceptance-based and mindfulness-based therapy has shown that accepting and mindfully observing negative emotions (instead of trying to suppress them) leads to the dissolution of these emotions (Eifert and Heffner, 2003 ; Arch and Craske, 2006 ; Hayes-Skelton et al., 2011 ). Czech et al. ( 2011 ) cite several experimental studies which have demonstrated that acceptance of negative emotion decreases distress and increases willingness to engage in challenging tasks. Empathic paraphrasing may have similar effects, as it essentially applies the principles of mindfulness and acceptance from the outside – through a listener who takes on an accepting role, thereby prompting the narrator in the same direction. Offering cognitive empathy through paraphrasing draws attention to emotions, non-judgmentally describes and accepts them, and is thus very similar to acceptance-based and mindfulness-based therapy. The central difference might be the locus of initiation of these processes, which in the case of empathic paraphrasing comes from somebody else. Comparing the effects of mindfulness and empathic paraphrasing and investigating the potential consequences of this difference on emotion processing and emotion regulation could be an interesting research focus for future studies.

Limitations of the present study

A potential short-coming of the present study pertains to the nature of the control condition, which consisted of taking notes silently. It could be argued that, as only the experimental condition involved speech, the differences found might be due to a general effect of being spoken to, rather than to an isolated effect of empathic paraphrasing. However, it should be noted that within a social conflict situation, the content of a reply to emotional descriptions can never be perceived as completely neutral, and any control condition involving speech will induce emotional effects of its own, e.g., irritation or even anger caused by inapplicable verbal comments of the interviewer following participants’ emotional disclosure. The present control condition was deliberately chosen for providing a neutral baseline against which the effects of empathic paraphrasing can be tested before moving on to other modes of comparison.

An aligned point of concern might be that it cannot be ascertained how the control condition was perceived by participants. For instance, even though they were informed that the note-taking simply served the purpose of bolstering the interviewer’s memory during the conversation, some participants may still have worried about the notes containing subjective judgment. This would most likely induce stress and add an emotional bias to the control condition. In this case, however, one would expect an increase in autonomic responses during the control condition, which did not occur. Still, considering these shortcomings of the control condition, the results need to be reproduced with varying kinds of control conditions involving speech before they can be viewed as definite.

It should also be mentioned that this study focused exclusively on short-term emotional reactions to paraphrasing, in order to obtain a constitutional data base illustrating the regulatory effect of this communicational technique. Our results suggest that in addition to influencing immediate emotional valence, paraphrasing sets in motion an initially arousing process of coping with negative emotions associated with the social conflict, which eventually may lead to resolving these emotions. However, as we did not assess longitudinal measures pertaining to the emotions associated with the social conflicts in question, this conclusion has to remain speculative until backed up by further research.

Finally, the relatively small sample size of the study makes it prone to distortions from individual variations and gender differences, e.g., in emotion expression. Again, replication of the results based on larger groups of study participants is called for.

Conclusion and directions for future research

The present study provides first experimental evidence that offering cognitive empathy through paraphrasing extrinsically regulates emotion in social conflict. Paraphrasing led to less negative feelings in study participants, while at the same time inducing higher autonomic arousal, which subsided after a short period of time. A possible explanation for these findings is that empathic paraphrasing stimulates an increased and focused processing of negative emotion in social conflict, and thus may contribute to resolving these emotions.

Future studies investigating the emotional effects of demonstrating cognitive empathy may further scrutinize the short- and long-term effects empathic paraphrasing has on arousal, and test the hypothesis that paraphrasing induces a cognitive-emotional process which facilitates the resolution of negative emotion in social conflict. Also, it would be interesting to investigate the dynamics of this process more closely and identify factors necessary for its successful development. Presently, we are working on a neuroimaging paradigm designed to overcome some of the above mentioned shortcomings and further explore the effects of empathic paraphrasing on the disposition to consider other people’s perspective in social conflict.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by the Cluster of Excellence “Languages of Emotion” at Freie Universität Berlin which is funded by the DFG (German Research Foundation), and by the Open-Access publication fund of the DFG and the Freie Universität Berlin.

Example of a paraphrasing sequence

Interviewer: “What is worst for you about this situation?”

Narrator: “The worst thing is not knowing what happens now, well, this uncertainty. I mean, there is a problem, I have to make sure the rent is being paid, because in the end I am responsible, because I am in the rental agreement…and then – not being able to deal with that situation, not being able to act, because I just don’t know what is going to happen. The worst…now I am not so sure anymore, what was worst about it – well, also interpersonally it was very disappointing, because after all I took care of everything, voluntarily, and…I mean, when she is acting this way now, that is also a lack of recognition for what I do, what I accomplish. For my whole courtesy. What aggravates things is that is was clear from the beginning that she does not do so well financially, but urgently needed an apartment, and I let her move in with me to help her. And that is something that is…not being trampled under her feet…but you notice that there is a lack of recognition. Well, I think this second issue is worse than the first one.”

Interviewer: “So it is a combination, is it? For one, this thing, that in some way your existence is on stake here, that you are saying, this uncertainty is hard to bear – that you do not know how the rent is going to come around in the future. And then also the interpersonal issue, that you are saying you are disappointed of her, because you helped her, and in return you get this now, right? Especially the lack of recognition, the interpersonal treatment is what is worst – did I understand that correctly?”

Narrator: “Yes.”

• Alexander F., French T. (1946). Psychoanalytic Therapy . New York: Ronald Press [ Google Scholar ]
• Arch J. J., Craske M. G. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness: emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction . Behav. Res. Ther. 44 , 1849–1858 10.1016/j.brat.2005.12.007 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ashton–James C., van Baaren R. B., Chartrand T. L., Decety J., Karremans J. (2007). Mimicry and me: the impact of mimicry on self-construal . Social Cogn. 25 , 518–535 10.1521/soco.2007.25.4.518 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Banse R., Scherer K. R. (1996). Acoustic profiles in vocal emotion expression . J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 70 , 614–636 10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.614 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Benedek M., Kaernbach C. (2010). Decomposition of skin conductance data by means of non-negative deconvolution . Psychophysiology 47 , 647–658 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bernson J. M., Hallberg L. R.-M., Elfström M. L., Hakeberg M. (2011). “Making dental care possible: a mutual affair”: a grounded theory relating to adult patients with dental fear and regular dental treatment . Eur. J. Oral Sci. 119 , 373–380 10.1111/j.1600-0722.2011.00936.x [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Bohart A. C., Elliott R., Greenberg L. S., Watson J. C. (2002). “Empathy,” in Psychotherapy Relationships That Work , ed. Norcross J. (New York: Oxford University Press; ), 89–108 [ Google Scholar ]
• Bridges M. R. (2006). Activating the corrective emotional experience . J. Clin. Psychol. 62 , 551–568 10.1002/jclp.20248 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Butler E. A., Gross J. J. (2009). Emotion and emotion regulation: integrating individual and social levels of analysis . Emot. Rev. 1 , 86–87 10.1177/1754073908099131 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Cape J. (2000). Patient-rated therapeutic relationship and outcome in general practitioner treatment of psychological problems . Br. J. Clin. Psychol. 39 ( Pt 4 ), 383–395 10.1348/014466500163383 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Critchley H. D. (2002). Electrodermal responses: what happens in the brain . Neuroscientist 8 , 132–142 10.1177/107385840200800209 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Czech S. J., Katz A. M., Orsillo S. M. (2011). The effect of values affirmation on psychological stress . Cogn. Behav. Ther. 40 , 304–312 10.1080/16506073.2011.585347 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Davis M. A. (2009). A perspective on cultivating clinical empathy . Complement. Ther. Clin. Pract. 15 , 76–79 10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.01.001 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• de Wied M., Branje S. J. T., Meeus W. H. J. (2007). Empathy and conflict resolution in friendship relations among adolescents . Aggress. Behav. 33 , 48–55 10.1002/ab.20166 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Decety J., Meyer M. (2008). From emotion resonance to empathic understanding: a social developmental neuroscience account . Dev. Psychopathol. 20 , 1053–1080 10.1017/S0954579408000503 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Duan C., Kivlighan D. M. (2002). Relationships among therapist presession mood, therapist empathy, and session evaluation . Psychother. Res. 12 , 23–37 10.1080/713869615 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Duffy E. (1932). The measurement of muscular tension as a technique for the study of emotional tendencies . Am. J. Psychol. 44 , 146–162 10.2307/1414961 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Dziobek I., Rogers K., Fleck S., Bahnemann M., Heekeren H. R., Wolf O. T., et al. (2008). Dissociation of cognitive and emotional empathy in adults with Asperger syndrome using the multifaceted empathy test (MET) . J. Autism Dev. Disord. 38 , 464–473 10.1007/s10803-007-0486-x [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Eifert G. H., Heffner M. (2003). The effects of acceptance versus control contexts on avoidance of panic-related symptoms . J. Behav. Ther. Exp. Psychiatry 34 , 293–312 10.1016/j.jbtep.2003.11.001 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Elliott R., Bohart A. C., Watson J. C., Greenberg L. S. (2011). Empathy . Psychotherapy 48 , 43–49 10.1037/a0022187 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Farber B. A., Doolin E. M. (2011). Positive regard . Psychotherapy 48 , 58–64 10.1037/a0022141 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Fischer-Lokou J., Martin A., Guéguen N., Lamy L. (2011). Mimicry and propagation of prosocial behavior in a natural setting . Psychol. Rep. 108 , 599–605 10.2466/07.17.21.PR0.108.2.599-605 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Garrod S., Pickering M. J. (2004). Why is conversation so easy? Trends Cogn. Sci. (Regul. Ed.) 8 , 8–11 10.1016/j.tics.2003.10.016 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Gehlbach H. (2004). Social Perspective taking: a facilitating aptitude for conflict resolution, historical empathy, and social studies achievement . Theory Res. Soc. Educ. 32 , 39–55 10.1080/00933104.2004.10473242 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Gross J. J., Thompson R. A. (2007). “Emotion regulation: conceptual foundations,” in Handbook of Emotion Regulation , ed. Gross J. J. (New York: The Guilford Press; ), 3–24 [ Google Scholar ]
• Guéguen N., Martin A., Meineri S. (2011). Mimicry and helping behavior: an evaluation of mimicry on explicit helping request . J. Soc. Psychol. 151 , 1–4 10.1080/00224540903366701 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Halpern J. (2007). Empathy and patient-physician conflicts . J. Gen. Intern. Med. 22 , 696–700 10.1007/s11606-006-0102-3 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hayes-Skelton S. A., Orsillo S. M., Roemer L. (2011). An acceptance-based behavioral therapy for individuals with generalized anxiety disorder . Cogn. Behav. Pract. 10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.02.005 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Hein G., Lamm C., Brodbeck C., Singer T. (2011). Skin conductance response to the pain of others predicts later costly helping . PLoS ONE 6 , e22759. 10.1371/journal.pone.0022759 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Howell P., Au-Yeung J., Pilgrim L. (1999). Utterance rate and linguistic properties as determinants of lexical dysfluencies in children who stutter . J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105 , 481–490 10.1121/1.424585 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Ireland M. E., Slatcher R. B., Eastwick P. W., Scissors L. E., Finkel E. J., Pennebaker J. W. (2011). Language style matching predicts relationship initiation and stability . Psychol. Sci. 22 , 39–44 10.1177/0956797610392928 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kreibig S. D., Wilhelm F. H., Roth W. T., Gross J. J. (2007). Cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory response patterns to fear- and sadness-inducing films . Psychophysiology 44 , 787–806 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00550.x [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Kushki A., Fairley J., Merja S., King G., Chau T. (2011). Comparison of blood volume pulse and skin conductance responses to mental and affective stimuli at different anatomical sites . Physiol. Meas. 32 , 1529–1539 10.1088/0967-3334/32/10/002 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Lamm C., Batson C. D., Decety J. (2007). The neural substrate of human empathy: effects of perspective-taking and cognitive appraisal . J. Cogn. Neurosci. 19 , 42–58 10.1162/jocn.2007.19.1.42 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Laver J. D. (1968). Voice quality and indexical information . Br. J. Disord. Commun. 3 , 43–54 10.3109/13682826809011440 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Li L., Chen J. (2006). “Emotion recognition using physiological signals,” in Advances in Artificial Reality and Tele-Existence . Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 4282 , eds Pan Z., Cheok A., Haller M., Lau R. W. H., Saito H., Liang R. (Berlin: Springer; ), 437–446 [ Google Scholar ]
• Maddux W. W., Mullen E., Galinsky A. D. (2008). Chameleons bake bigger pies and take bigger pieces: strategic behavioral mimicry facilitates negotiation outcomes . J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 44 , 461–468 10.1016/j.jesp.2007.02.003 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Marci C. D., Ham J., Moran E., Orr S. P. (2007). Physiologic correlates of perceived therapist empathy and social-emotional process during psychotherapy . J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 195 , 103–111 10.1097/01.nmd.0000253731.71025.fc [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Markman A. B., Makin V. S. (1998). Referential communication and category acquisition . J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 127 , 331–354 10.1037/0096-3445.127.4.331 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Markowitz J. C., Milrod B. L. (2011). The importance of responding to negative affect in psychotherapies . Am. J. Psychiatry 168 , 124–128 10.1176/appi.ajp.2010.10040636 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Menenti L., Pickering M. J., Garrod S. C. (2012). Toward a neural basis of interactive alignment in conversation . Front. Hum. Neurosci. 6 :185. 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00185 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Mercer S. W., Reynolds W. J. (2002). Empathy and quality of care . Br. J. Gen. Pract. 52 (Suppl.), S9–S12 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Moran G., Diamond G. (2008). Generating non-negative attitudes among parents of depressed adolescents: the power of empathy, concern, and positive regard . Psychother. Res. 18 , 97–107 10.1080/10503300701408325 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Neumann M., Bensing J., Mercer S., Ernstmann N., Ommen O., Pfaff H. (2009). Analyzing the “nature” and “specific effectiveness” of clinical empathy: a theoretical overview and contribution towards a theory-based research agenda . Patient Educ. Couns. 74 , 339–346 10.1016/j.pec.2008.11.013 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Niven K., Totterdell P., Holman D. (2009). A classification of controlled interpersonal affect regulation strategies . Emotion 9 , 498–509 10.1037/a0015962 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Norcross J. C., Wampold B. E. (2011). Evidence-based therapy relationships: research conclusions and clinical practices . Psychotherapy 48 , 98–102 10.1037/a0022180 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Orlinsky D. E., Rønnestad M. H., Willutzki U. (2004). “Fifty years of psychotherapy process outcome research: continuity and change,” in Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change , 5th Edn, ed. Lambert M. J. (New York: Wiley; ), 307–389 [ Google Scholar ]
• Palomba D., Angrilli A., Mini A. (1997). Visual evoked potentials, heart rate responses and memory to emotional pictorial stimuli . Int. J. Psychophysiol. 27 , 55–67 10.1016/S0167-8760(97)00751-4 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Pickering M. J., Garrod S. (2004). Toward a mechanistic psychology of dialogue . Behav. Brain Sci. 27 , 169–90; discussion 190–226. 10.1017/S0140525X04450055 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Preston S. D., de Waal F. B. M. (2002). Empathy: its ultimate and proximate bases . Behav. Brain Sci. 25 , 1–20; discussion 20–71. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Reynolds B., Quinn Crouse S. (2008). Effective communication during an influenza pandemic: the value of using a crisis and emergency risk communication framework . Health Promot. Pract. 9 ( Suppl. 4 ), 13S–17S 10.1177/1524839908325267 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Rime B. (2009). Emotion elicits the social sharing of emotion: theory and empirical review . Emot Rev 1 , 60–85 10.1177/1754073908097189 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Rochman D., Diamond G. M., Amir O. (2008). Unresolved anger and sadness: identifying vocal acoustical correlates . J. Couns. Psychol. 55 , 505–517 10.1037/a0013720 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Rogers C. R. (1942). Counseling and Psychotherapy . New York: Houghton Mifflin Co [ Google Scholar ]
• Rogers C. R. (1951). Client-Centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory . Oxford: Houghton Mifflin [ Google Scholar ]
• Scherer K. R. (1995). Expression of emotion in voice and music . J. Voice 9 , 235–248 10.1016/S0892-1997(05)80231-0 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Scherer K. R. (2003). Vocal communication of emotion: a review of research paradigms . Speech Commun. 40 , 227–256 10.1016/S0167-6393(02)00084-5 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Schirmer A., Kotz S. A. (2006). Beyond the right hemisphere: brain mechanisms mediating vocal emotional processing . Trends Cogn. Sci. (Regul. Ed.) 10 , 24–30 10.1016/j.tics.2005.11.009 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Shelley K. H. (2007). Photoplethysmography: beyond the calculation of arterial oxygen saturation and heart rate . Anesth. Analg. 105 ( Suppl. 6 ), S31–S6 10.1213/01.ane.0000269512.82836.c9 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Steins G. (2000). Motivation in Person perception: role of the other’s perspective . J. Soc. Psychol. 140 , 692–709 10.1080/00224540009600510 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Stel M., Harinck F. (2011). Being mimicked makes you a prosocial voter . Exp. Psychol. 58 , 79–84 10.1027/1618-3169/a000070 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Stel M., van Baaren R. B., Vonk R. (2008). Effects of mimicking: acting prosocially by being emotionally moved . Eur. J. Soc. Psychol. 38 , 965–976 10.1002/ejsp.472 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Sueur J., Aubin T., Simonis C. (2008). Seewave: a free modular tool for sound analysis and synthesis . Bioacoustics 18 , 213–226 10.1080/09524622.2008.9753600 [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Totterdell P., Parkinson B. (1999). Use and effectiveness of self-regulation strategies for improving mood in a group of trainee teachers . J. Occup. Health Psychol. 4 , 219–232 10.1037/1076-8998.4.3.219 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• van Baaren R. B., Holland R. W., Kawakami K., van Knippenberg A. (2004). Mimicry and prosocial behavior . Psychol. Sci. 15 , 71–74 10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.01501012.x [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
• Zuroff D. C., Kelly A. C., Leybman M. J., Blatt S. J., Wampold B. E. (2010). Between-therapist and within-therapist differences in the quality of the therapeutic relationship: effects on maladjustment and self-critical perfectionism . J. Clin. Psychol. 66 , 681–697 [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]

COUNSELOR ADVOCACY ALERT: The FCC has repealed net neutrality rules. This gives internet service providers (ISPs), like Verizon, Comcast, AT&T, and others, power to prevent websites (like this one) from loading. ISPs can now block access to websites that can't or won't pay them extra fees. In addition to threatening free speech, this has the potential to destroy the internet as we know it. We urge U.S. citizens to click here to locate and call/email your senators and representative to ask them to pass net neutrality legislation. Learn more about net neutrality at www.battleforthenet.com/

Reflecting Skills

Ensuring that you understand your clients, and that your clients feel understood by you is foundational to the counseling relationship. The skills on this page are particularly useful for building the counseling relationship by helping your clients to know that you are hearing and understanding what they are saying.

Summarizing, Paraphrasing, & Reflecting

Summarizing, paraphrasing, and reflecting are probably the three most important & most commonly used microskills. These skills can be used by counselors to demonstrate their empathy to clients, make the counseling session go "deeper", & increase clients' awareness of their emotions, cognitions, & behaviors. All three methods involve repeating back, in your own words, what the client has said. Counselors often go beyond simple repetition and include their own interpretations of the client's emotions or existential meaning to increase the "depth" of the session. These techniques can often be used in place of questions, as, like questions, they prompt the client to reflect or talk more. However, these techniques often have additional benefits of questions as they also demonstrate that the counselor empathizes with and understands each client. Summaries, paraphrases, and reflections can be described as:

• Broadest of the three methods for repeating information.
• Useful at the end or beginning of session. For example, summarizing the session to the client or reorienting the client to the previous session.
• Summaries can include condensed paraphrases & reflections.
• Not as broad as a summary, yet more broad than a reflection.
• Useful for pacing counseling sessions and for demonstrating empathy to clients.
• Paraphrases can contain condensed reflections.
• There are three broad types of reflection: Reflections of content, reflections of feeling, & reflections of meaning.
• Counselors can strengthen their reflections by constructing a reflection that integrates content, process, affect, and meaning. For example, "While talking about the loss of your dog (content) I experience you as alternating between anger and sadness (affect). That makes a lot of sense to me (self-disclosure), since you told me that seeing your dog at the end of a stressful day kept you grounded (meaning)".

Types of Reflections

Counselors can reflect a wide range of information, but reflections typically include one or more of the following:

• Reflecting content involves repeating back to clients a version of what they just told you. Reflecting content shows the client you understand and are listening to them. Typically, reflecting content alone is not as powerful as reflecting content with emotions and/or meaning.
• Reflecting a client's emotions is often useful for heightening the client's awareness of and ability to label their own emotions. It is important that counselors have a wide emotional vocabulary, so they can tailor their word choice to match a level of emotional intensity that is congruent with a client's experience. Feeling word charts are useful for reviewing a wide range of feeling words.
• As existential theorists observe, humans are meaning making creatures. Reflecting a client's meaning can increase the client's self-awareness while encouraging emotional depth in the session.

Emotional Heightening

Counselors can intentionally use language to increase or decrease the emotional intensity of their reflections, thereby altering a client's emotional arousal. Using evocative language and metaphors (e.g., "walking on eggshells") encourages clients to go deeper into a particular experience or emotion, which can heighten awareness and understanding. Conversely, a counselor might support a client in containing their emotions toward the end of the session, so the client is prepared to leave the session.

It is important that counselors attempt to match their reflections to the emotional intensity of the client's experience. Thus, intentionality is important when counselors reflect more or less emotion than the client expresses, as doing so can result in the client feeling misunderstood and not listened to.

An example of emotional heightening is:

• Client: "My wife and I can't stop fighting with each other, and things are really escalating."
• Counselor: "Your fights are becoming more explosive and hostile."

Clinical psychology

Psychotherapy, personality, how can paraphrasing be used in counseling (3+ main indications).

As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.

Paraphrasing in counseling

Paraphrasing refers to one of the counseling skills which holds paramount importance in the process of counseling. It is that skill which the counselor uses to repeat what the client has said at the present moment using fewer words and without any intention of changing the meaning of what the client conveyed through his words. 

Though paraphrasing looks quite simple and quick, it demands a sufficient amount of concentration and articulation skills from the side of the counselor. It is more difficult than it appears to be. While paraphrasing the words of the client, they should not end up feeling interrupted or misunderstood, in the process. The paraphrase should be kept, short, precise, and simple. There must be no unwanted complications or assumptions involved in it.

Although, if the paraphrase is kept too short, it would make the client feel confused and sometimes, dejected for being interrupted in between. Hence, paraphrasing must be initiated and put into action in a non-complex and understanding manner. It is very important to practice paraphrases that come in various lengths, variations of content, or emphasis of the wording. This will help you to understand what works best for your intentions and goals, as a counselor.

Emphasis on essence

The intention of a counselor, when using paraphrases must be to reveal the essence of the client’s words. The client should get clarity, in terms of the paraphrases you use to communicate with them and must not feel confused or at loss for words once they’ve heard you out. They must be able to smoothly continue with their communication and not be intimidated or taken aback by your choice of words. 

Growth of empathy

A form of acknowledgment .

Paraphrasing is a form of acknowledgment that is provided by the counselor. This is done by mindfully restating the words of the client, conveying empathy, acceptance, and genuineness. A therapist’s role does not comprise of reading the minds of the clients or assuming their emotional states. Hence, it is very essential to learn the art of rephrasing the client’s words briefly and acknowledge them with honesty. 

The important thing to be kept in mind is not to make judgemental statements or use biased terms in the form of paraphrases. This puts off the client and makes him/her trust the therapist less. You must allow the client to come to conclusions on their own and not put words in their mouth. 

Tone of voice

Alternatives that do not define paraphrasing, faqs: paraphrasing in counseling, why do counselors use paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills that is required, in the process of counseling. Paraphrasing in counseling is a way of responding, which informs the client that the counselor has precisely heard what the client has conveyed. These kinds of paraphrases, encouragers, and summaries are important and helpful for the client to feel understood in the process of counseling. They make the client feel more comfortable and less vulnerable in the relationship with their therapist. Paraphrasing and summarising are active and efficient ways of communicating to the client that they have been heard. 

What is the difference between paraphrasing and reflecting in counseling?

How do you reflect in counseling, how is paraphrasing helpful.

Paraphrasing is important for the mutual understanding of both the client’s and the therapist’s understanding of the client’s situation. It helps the client in revealing the source of his thoughts and emotions in many instances and it acts as a breakthrough for the client in the process of counseling. The therapist also makes good use of the paraphrasing skill to confirm and reaffirm the meaning and tone of emotion used to convey anything that is said by the client, to clear the air of doubts or confusions and make the process of counseling smooth and hassle-free. It provides a good deal of understanding between the client and the therapist.

What are some counseling skills?

What is the primary goal of counseling.

http://www.csun.edu/~hcpsy002/Psy460_GrpTask05_Paraphra.pdf

Was this helpful?

Find hope and healing through online counseling on betterhelp.

Don’t struggle alone – sign up for BetterHelp today and start your journey towards healing and growth with the help of a compassionate and experienced therapist.

Related Posts

How to tell your therapist you want to take a break, betterhelp negative reviews, does talkspace take medicaid (+3 advantages).

Reflection (Therapeutic Behavior)

• Reference work entry
• First Online: 01 January 2020
• pp 4344–4346
• Cite this reference work entry

• Kathryn N. Schrantz 3 &
• Alicia Lyon-Limke McLean 4  

1132 Accesses

Active listening techniques ; Affirmation statements ; Directive techniques ; Feelings interpretation ; Feelings validation ; Nondirective techniques ; Psychotherapy ; Reflective statements

Therapeutic reflections are statements used by psychotherapists to restate, paraphrase, or uncover therapy clients’ emotional reactions to situations, thoughts, behaviors, or interpersonal interactions.

Introduction

Verbal and nonverbal reflections are a major component of psychotherapy. Considered as an active listening technique, reflections serve as an important therapeutic tool. Often, reflections paraphrase or restate clients’ feelings and emotions. Therapists also use reflections to help clients examine previously undiscovered or misunderstood emotional reactions. There are various types of reflections that are used to elicit different reactions from clients. Reflections impact the therapeutic relationship and play a significant role in many therapeutic approaches.

Types of...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Arnold, K. (2014). Behind the mirror: Reflective listening and its Tain in the work of Carl Rogers. The Humanistic Psychologist, 42 (4), 354–369. https://doi.org/10.1080/08873267.2014.913247 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Google Scholar  

Brammer, L. M. (1979). The helping relationship . Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.

Elliott, R., Bohart, A. C., Watson, J. C., & Greenberg, L. S. (2011). Empathy. Psychotherapy, 48 (1), 43–49. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022187 .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Flückiger, C., Del Re, A. C., Wampold, B. E., & Horvath, A. O. (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis. Psychotherapy, 55 (4), 316–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000172 .

Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Helping people change (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-centered therapy . Boston: Houghton, Mifflin.

Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2009). Clinical interviewing (4th ed.). Hoboken: Wiley.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, USA

Kathryn N. Schrantz

University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Edmond, OK, USA

Alicia Lyon-Limke McLean

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn N. Schrantz .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

Virgil Zeigler-Hill

Todd K. Shackelford

Section Editor information

Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Patrizia Velotti

Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Schrantz, K.N., McLean, A.LL. (2020). Reflection (Therapeutic Behavior). In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_841

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_841

Published : 22 April 2020

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-24610-9

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-24612-3

eBook Packages : Behavioral Science and Psychology Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Share this entry

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

How to become a counsellor – blog

The Skill of Paraphrasing in Counselling

Introduction

The skill of paraphrasing in counselling is essential for effective therapeutic communication. It involves rephrasing the client’s words using the counsellor’s own language, ensuring an authentic bond and fostering deeper understanding. This technique promotes emotional regulation and creates a safe space for clients to explore their feelings.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of a strong counsellor-client relationship. Through active listening and empathic responses, counsellors can validate their clients’ experiences, enhancing trust and openness within the therapeutic environment.

In this article, we will explore:

• The art of paraphrasing in counselling
• How it enhances client engagement
• Practical strategies to master this vital skill

By developing proficiency in paraphrasing, you can significantly improve your therapeutic interactions and support your clients more effectively.

Understanding Paraphrasing in Counselling

Paraphrasing in counselling refers to the skill of rephrasing the client’s message using the counsellor’s own words. This technique aims to facilitate a deeper exploration of the client’s experiences and emotions. By restating the client’s thoughts and feelings, you create an opportunity for them to reflect on their own words, which can lead to new insights and understanding.

Definition and Purpose:

Paraphrasing:.

Involves summarizing the client’s message in your own words while ensuring that the essence and underlying emotions are accurately captured.

Enhances mutual understanding, validates the client’s experiences, and promotes a sense of being heard.

Distinction Between Paraphrasing and Reflection:

Paraphrasing: Focuses on rephrasing the content of what the client has said, emphasizing both emotional and factual elements.

Reflection: Primarily aims at mirroring the emotions expressed by the client without altering the original wording significantly.

How Paraphrasing Works:

• Listen Actively: Pay close attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Identify Key Ideas and Emotions: Distill the main points and emotional undertones from the client’s statements.
• Rephrase with Fidelity: Restate these ideas in your own words while maintaining fidelity to their underlying meanings.
• Check for Accuracy: Seek feedback from the client to ensure your paraphrase resonates with their intended message.

This method fosters an environment where clients feel understood and supported, encouraging them to delve deeper into their thoughts and emotions.

The Importance of Paraphrasing for Therapeutic Communication

Paraphrasing is extremely important in counselling . It plays a crucial role in fostering mutual understanding and empathy between the therapist and the client. By rephrasing what the client says, you show that you are actively listening and genuinely interested in their point of view. This helps to build a strong and trusting relationship.

Benefits of Paraphrasing in Therapy

Paraphrasing has several benefits in therapy:

• Active Listening : When you paraphrase, you demonstrate to the client that you are actively listening to them.
• Validation : By accurately reflecting the client’s thoughts and feelings, you validate their experiences.
• Safety : This validation creates a sense of safety for the client, encouraging them to share openly without fear of judgment.
• Emotion Regulation : Research has shown that empathic paraphrasing can reduce negative emotions and improve emotion processing in clients.

How Paraphrasing Works in Therapy

Here’s an example to illustrate how paraphrasing can be used in therapy:

Client: “I’m so frustrated with my job. I feel like I’m constantly overwhelmed with work and nobody appreciates my efforts.”

Therapist: “It sounds like you’re feeling stressed out because of your heavy workload and you don’t feel acknowledged for your hard work.”

In this example, the therapist uses paraphrasing to reflect back the client’s feelings of frustration and lack of appreciation. This shows understanding and empathy towards the client’s situation.

The Role of Paraphrasing in Creating an Effective Therapeutic Environment

In summary, paraphrasing is not just a small skill; it is a critical element in creating an effective therapeutic environment where clients feel:

By using paraphrasing techniques, therapists can establish rapport with their clients, promote self-reflection, and facilitate positive change.

Steps to Master the Art of Paraphrasing in Counselling Sessions

Step 1: active listening and comprehension.

Effective paraphrasing begins with active listening . This involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the client says. Maintaining eye contact, nodding, and using verbal affirmations like “I see” or “Go on” can signal that you are engaged.

Example: If a client shares a story about feeling overwhelmed at work, listen attentively to both their words and the emotions conveyed through their tone and body language.

Step 2: Identifying Key Ideas and Emotions

Once you have actively listened, the next step is to identify the key ideas and emotions expressed by the client. Look for recurring themes or significant statements that capture the essence of what they are communicating.

Example: If a client repeatedly mentions feeling “trapped” or “stressed,” these are key emotions worth noting.

Step 3: Rephrasing with Sensitivity

Now comes the task of rephrasing what the client has said in your own words while maintaining sensitivity to their underlying emotions and meanings. The goal is to reflect back what you’ve heard without altering its intent or adding your own interpretations.

Example: If a client says, “I feel like I’m drowning in my workload,” you might paraphrase with, “It sounds like you’re feeling overwhelmed by your responsibilities at work.”

Step 4: Seeking Client Feedback and Adjusting as Needed

The final step is to seek feedback from the client to ensure your paraphrase accurately captures their experience. This not only validates their feelings but also allows for any necessary adjustments.

Example: After paraphrasing, ask the client, “Is that an accurate reflection of how you’re feeling?” This invites them to clarify or expand on their thoughts if needed.

By following these steps—active listening, identifying key ideas and emotions, rephrasing with sensitivity, and seeking feedback—you can master the art of paraphrasing in counselling sessions. These steps will help create a therapeutic environment where clients feel heard and understood.

Enhancing Client Engagement Through Skillful Paraphrasing

Skillful paraphrasing can be a powerful tool to foster deeper client engagement in therapy sessions. When you effectively paraphrase what a client shares, it encourages them to delve deeper into their thoughts and feelings. This practice not only shows that you are actively engaged but also promotes a collaborative atmosphere in therapy.

Listening to the client’s response is pivotal. It’s essential to hear not just the words they are saying but also the underlying needs and values conveyed. By doing so, you can demonstrate understanding and validate their experiences, making them feel heard and respected.

Key Elements of Skillful Paraphrasing:

• Active Listening : Pay close attention to both verbal and non-verbal cues.
• Understanding Needs and Values : Identify the core emotions and values behind the client’s words.
• Sensitive Rephrasing : Reflect their message back in your own words while maintaining the essence of their emotions.

For instance, if a client says, “I’m feeling overwhelmed with my workload,” you might paraphrase it as, “It sounds like you’re finding your current workload quite challenging.” This approach not only confirms that you have understood their struggle but also invites them to explore this feeling further.

By focusing on these elements, you create a space where clients feel safe to express themselves more deeply, ultimately enhancing the therapeutic relationship.

Using Paraphrasing to Support Decision-Making and Goal-Setting

Paraphrasing is a powerful tool in therapeutic communication that helps clients explore different perspectives and options. By rephrasing what the client says, you can help them see their situation from a new point of view, making it easier to find possible solutions. This process can also uncover things they may not have thought about before, which can lead to better choices.

For example, if a client is unsure about changing careers, paraphrasing their worries and dreams can help them figure out what matters most to them. You could say something like, “It seems like you’re struggling between staying in a job that’s secure but doesn’t excite you, and taking a risk with something that aligns better with your passions.” This not only shows that you understand how they feel but also encourages them to think deeper about their situation.

Here are some key benefits of using paraphrasing for decision-making and goal-setting:

• Empowerment: Clients feel listened to and understood, which boosts their confidence in making decisions.
• Clarity: It helps break down complicated emotions and thoughts into clearer insights.
• Perspective: By considering different viewpoints, it helps make more well-rounded decisions.

Using paraphrasing effectively is also important when it comes to setting goals. By talking about clients’ hopes and breaking them down into smaller steps, you can help them create objectives that are realistic and doable. This teamwork approach makes clients feel more responsible and motivated, which is crucial for long-term success.

“Paraphrasing can be the bridge between confusion and clarity,” highlighting its importance in empowering clients through clear and empathetic communication.

Ethical Considerations in Paraphrasing: Avoiding Manipulation or Invalidations

The ethics of paraphrasing in counselling are crucial for maintaining client trust and the integrity of the therapeutic process. Missteps in paraphrasing can lead to significant challenges, including inadvertently leading the client or minimizing their experiences.

Potential Pitfalls:

• Leading the Client : Overly directive paraphrasing may steer clients towards conclusions or insights they have not reached independently. This can undermine their autonomy and the authenticity of their self-discovery.
• Minimizing Experiences : Unintentionally downplaying a client’s emotions or experiences through inaccurate paraphrases can make them feel misunderstood or invalidated, potentially harming the therapeutic relationship.

Strategies for Ethical Paraphrasing:

1. maintain fidelity to the client’s emotions and meanings :.

• Ensure that your paraphrase accurately reflects both the content and emotional tone of what the client has shared.
• Use phrases like “It sounds like you’re feeling…” to confirm you’re capturing their feelings accurately.

2. Seek Feedback and Adjust Accordingly :

• Encourage clients to correct any misinterpretations. For instance, you might say, “Did I get that right?” or “Is there another way you would put it?”
• This approach helps clients feel heard and valued, reinforcing mutual understanding.

3. Stay Client-Centered :

• Focus on what the client is expressing without interjecting your own assumptions or biases.
• Allow space for clients to elaborate on their thoughts and emotions rather than jumping to conclusions.

4. Regular Self-Reflection and Supervision :

• Continuously evaluate your paraphrasing skills through self-reflection and seek feedback from supervisors.
• This practice ensures that you remain aligned with ethical guidelines and improve your proficiency over time.

Ethical paraphrasing involves a delicate balance between providing feedback and respecting the client’s individual journey. By adhering to these strategies, you can foster a therapeutic environment built on trust, understanding, and genuine support.

Developing proficient paraphrasing skills as a counsellor is invaluable. This technique not only facilitates effective communication but also creates a supportive space where clients can explore their emotions and find healing. Mastery in paraphrasing enhances emotional regulation and fosters genuine understanding, making it a cornerstone of therapeutic practice.

To truly benefit from the power of paraphrasing:

• Practice the strategies discussed throughout this article.
• Seek supervision or feedback to refine your ability to use paraphrasing effectively.

While paraphrasing stands out as a vital tool in your counselling arsenal, remember to employ it alongside other core counselling skills for comprehensive client care. A balanced approach ensures that clients receive nuanced support, addressing their needs from multiple angles.

Part of the Essential Counselling Skills Series of Posts

003 – Counselling ‘Volume’ – Transference & Countertransference – Paraphrasing – UPR

In this third episode of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, Ken Kelly and Rory Lees-Oakes explore how to turn down our counselling ‘volume’. ‘Theory with Rory’ looks at  transference and countertransference;  and in the skills section, Ken examines paraphrasing. In a new slot, ‘Ask Ken and Rory’, the presenters look at the challenge of showing unconditional positive regard (UPR).

Turning Down Our Counselling ‘Volume’

Following a question in the Facebook group about how not to be drawn into counselling family and friends, Rory and Ken use a range of personal experiences and anecdotes to illustrate how they ‘turn down the volume’ on their counselling skills in everyday life.

Carl Rogers  held that the person-centred approach to counselling is not so much a way of doing as a way of being. Counselling training can change us as people, but we need to know when to turn down our counselling volume. It would not be healthy or developmental for us to spend all our time in other people’s frames of reference; nor would it be ethical to counsel people who had not asked for counselling and with whom we had not contracted.

Transference and Countertransference

In transference – a concept first introduced by  Sigmund Freud  – people become ‘biological time-machines’, transferring their feelings about a past relationship to a new relationship in the present.  Transference :

• is subconscious – so those experiencing it may not be aware of it
• transfers the relationship, not the person
• is at least partly inappropriate to the present situation
• transfers only one aspect of the relationship, rather than the whole thing.

While transference is a central concept in psychodynamic work, it is considered less important to the therapy itself in humanistic counselling. However, we must be aware of the possible dangers of the client experiencing transference towards us, as this can affect the counselling relationship, the client’s journey and our perceptions of the client.

If transference is the redirection of the client’s feelings about a past relationship towards their present relationship with their therapist, countertransference is the reverse: the redirection of the counsellor’s feelings from the past towards the client.

Rory identifies that our particular concern as counsellors is with unchecked transference leading to countertransference within the counselling relationship. This muddies the relationship, as the therapist may inadvertently treat the client as if they were someone else. He provides an example of tutor–student transference from his own experience, illustrating how a potential problem could occur, and how he resolved this in a person-centred way.

Ways to identify and deal with transference and countertransference include being aware of danger signs in clients, monitoring self, and taking relevant material to supervision. Support from your supervisor can enable you to:

• better understand the therapist–client relationship
• be more effective in working with the client’s process
• anticipate potential traps and potholes
• improve boundary maintenance.

Self-awareness and willingness to work on personal development are key. So the next time you have a strong reaction to a person you have just met, ask yourself: ‘What aspects of the person’s behaviour are linked with a relationship in my past?’

The Skill of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing  involves reflecting your understanding of the client material – the ‘essence’ of what has been said – back to them in your own words. It is similar to the skill you would use when writing notes in class.

Using a simulated skills session, Ken illustrates the importance of cutting through the story, observing body language, and focusing on the underlying emotions that the client is bringing – in Rogers’ words, noticing ‘the music behind the words’.

Good paraphrasing:

• helps the client feel heard and understood
• builds and deepens the  empathic  relationship between counsellor and client
• can invite the client to focus on a specific part of their material
• allows us, as counsellors, to check our understanding of what the client is bringing.

Free Handout Download

What is Transference and Countertransference?

UPR and Judgement

Showing UPR towards clients does not mean we must approve of all their behaviour: in Rory’s words, ‘we must separate the sin from the sinner’. It is also important to remember that our truth – which is a product of our own self-concept – is not necessarily our client’s truth. The Roman playwright Terence said: ‘I am human; I consider nothing human alien to me.’

Links and Resources

Handout on transference and countertransference

Breaking Taboos: Acknowledging Therapist Arousal and Disgust  by Catherine Butler (2011)

‘Therapists’ Anger, Hate, Fear, and Sexual Feelings’ by Kenneth Pope and Barbara Tabachnick ( Professional Psychology: Research and Practice , volume 24, issue 2, pages 142–152, 2015)

Transference and Countertransference  by Dr Dot (2008)

Counselling Tutor Facebook group

Counseling Reviews

Basic skills for counselling (paraphrasing).

3 comments:

When you are rephrasing so you need to think like a paraphrase helper who is always there to help and creativity not for just checking purposes.

Hi, I just wanted some clarification on #4 of Why we paraphrase. I am a little confused with the sentence that states, "With this skill to emphasize content is also useful if attention to affect is premature or counter-productive."

Counselling skills are the tools that counsellors use to help clients. They can be divided into three main categories: communication skills, intervention skills, and assessment skills. Communication skills involve active listening, empathy, and rapport building. Intervention skills involve providing support, guidance, and encouragement. Assessment skills involve identifying client goals and objectives, assessing progress, and making referrals. Counselling skills are important because they provide a framework for helping people achieve their goals. When used effectively, counselling skills can help people overcome challenges, make progress, and improve their lives. Read another amazing blog: https://lead-academy.org/blog/what-is-counselling-skills/

Passing your National Licensing Exam

Microskills: paraphrasing vs. summarizing in counseling practice.

Send us a Text Message.

CounselingExam How often have you found yourself caught between paraphrasing and summarizing, unsure of the fine line that differentiates them? Don't fret! Stacy Frost and Dr. Linton Hutchinson are here to sweep away confusion and shed light on these two essential counseling skills in a way you've never encountered before. As hosts of Licensure Exams, they masterfully unpack the intricacies of paraphrasing and summarizing, demonstrating how paraphrasing involves capturing the crux of a client's specific message, while summarizing is about compacting the main points, problems, or themes over a session, or multiple sessions. As Stacy and Linton weave their unique perspectives into this enlightening conversation, you'll learn how effective paraphrasing can demonstrate understanding of a client's sentiment, and summarizing can aptly encapsulate an entire session into key points. Get ready to challenge yourself in an interactive session where they play a game of identifying whether a statement is a paraphrase or a summary. Plus, there's a contest for the listeners, with the first to correctly respond to a Facebook post winning a personal Zoom call with them. By the time you're done with this episode, you'll not only understand paraphrasing and summarizing like never before, but also be fully prepped to employ these skills in your practice. Ready to take your counseling skills up a notch? Tune in now!

If you need to study for your national licensing exam, try the free samplers at: LicensureExams This podcast is not associated with the NBCC, AMFTRB, ASW, ANCC, NASP, NAADAC, CCMC, NCPG, CRCC, or any state or governmental agency responsible for licensure.

Share This Episode

Hey, there you incredible therapists. Welcome to our podcast here at Licensure Exams. I'm Stacey Frost and I'm with my co-host, the man, the Mystery, the Legend.

Dr Linton Hutchinson hey.

Hi from hot and sunny Florida. Today we're talking about the differences between paraphrasing and summarizing two very important counseling skills that you will probably need for the exam. You'll be tested on a variety of skills and these two are often confused because they share some similarities.

Exactly and there are also some subtle differences. But before we get into that, let's start by defining each. So paraphrasing is the restatement of a specific message or an idea that has been expressed by the client, and the goal is to capture the essence of the client's statement, using different words but retaining the original meaning.

Right and summarization is a condensed version of a larger piece of information that they've given you, so it may span the entire session or even multiple sessions, and it's used by you to capture the main points, issues or themes discussed over a period of time.

Right. So paraphrasing and summarizing are similar in that they both involve repeating or restating a client's thoughts and feelings, but they're different in that paraphrasing is about restating a specific message or idea expressed by the client, while summarizing involves condensing several ideas that have been expressed by the client.

Yeah, that's right, Stacey. Well, I guess it's time to provide everyone with a couple of good examples.

Let's say, a client tells you I feel like I'm stuck in a dead-end job and it's really taking a toll on my mental health.

Okay, so paraphrasing this could sound something like you're trapped and your current career is affecting your well-being.

Yeah, good one. So with that statement, you've taken the client's sentiment and rephrased it, demonstrating your understanding of what they're trying to communicate to you. Now let's contrast this with a summarization.

At the end of the session, you might say something like you've discussed your feelings of stagnation in your job and how this is negatively impacting your mental health. With that, you've condensed the conversation from the entire session by focusing on the main points of discussion where number one the client's feeling of stagnation in their job and two, how it's impacting their mental health. Your summarization tells the client that you understand what's been discussed with them in the session.

Yep. Thank you very much, Linton, for summarizing that so clearly.

Right. Well, here's another example.

During the beginning of the session, your client says I'm feeling really overwhelmed by all the expectations that I have for myself these days. I just don't feel like I can keep up.

Well, you could respond by saying it sounds like you're feeling a lot of pressure from your own expectations and that it's really difficult for you to deal with the stress. What does that sound like to you, stacy? Is it a paraphrase or is it a summarization?

Well, this one is a little tricky, but I'm leaning toward a paraphrase.

Yes, Stacy, and why is that?

Well, the response focuses on a specific statement that the client made. You, as a therapist, are restating it in different words, while still capturing that main point they're trying to make. You're not condensing multiple conversations or a lot of different ideas, like a summarization would.

If this was an episode of Wheel of Fortune, I'd ring a bell at this point.

I used to watch that show all the time with my grandma. That and Jeopardy Good ones, all right. So yay, I get to move on to the next round. You got any more examples, lyndon?

Sure, how about this one?

A client says I don't know if I can trust my boyfriend. He lied to me last week.

Well, you could respond to him by saying it seems like you're finding it difficult to trust your boyfriend after being misled. Is that a paraphrase or a summarization?

Well, that one also sounds like a paraphrase. You've captured the real essence there of what the client said and you expressed it back to them in different words.

You got it All right, let's try this one.

The client says to you I'm not sure how to handle this conflict with my sister. We've been arguing a lot lately and it's really just been getting worse and I don't know what to do. She never listens to me, no matter how hard I try to get her to listen. My parents are always taking her side, so nothing ever changes.

So let's say that you continue talking about this issue with the client and at the end of the session you say we've discussed your conflict with your sister and how it's escalating, as well as the fact that neither of you are being heard. Your parents always seem to take her side, which has made the situation even more frustrating for you.

Okay, so this one pretty clearly to me seems like a summarization. You've got these multiple conversations that you've talked about during the session and ideas that you both discussed, and now you're presenting the client with a really condensed version of all those points.

Right Using. This is just a really great way to provide closure for the client on all the important topics that you covered during the session.

Exactly so, linton. I got the answers right. Is there a prize?

Yeah, absolutely, but the prize isn't for you, stacey, you're already the prize.

Aww, all right. Well, that sounds good to me. Let's go ahead and pay it forward then. So the first person to respond to this post on Facebook outlining the differences between paraphrasing and summarizing, like we've talked about in this episode, is going to get a Zoom call with me and Linton, and we'll answer any questions that you might have as you are studying for your exam.

All right. So, to recap, we talked about paraphrasing and summarizing. Paraphrasing is about restating a specific message from the client with slightly different words, while summarizing is about condensing multiple conversations or ideas in order to capture the main points discussed.

Well, I think that's about all we have for today. Thanks for joining us and make sure to tune in next time, Until we meet again, remember it's in there.

Listen to this podcast on

Open Access is an initiative that aims to make scientific research freely available to all. To date our community has made over 100 million downloads. It’s based on principles of collaboration, unobstructed discovery, and, most importantly, scientific progression. As PhD students, we found it difficult to access the research we needed, so we decided to create a new Open Access publisher that levels the playing field for scientists across the world. How? By making research easy to access, and puts the academic needs of the researchers before the business interests of publishers.

We are a community of more than 103,000 authors and editors from 3,291 institutions spanning 160 countries, including Nobel Prize winners and some of the world’s most-cited researchers. Publishing on IntechOpen allows authors to earn citations and find new collaborators, meaning more people see your work not only from your own field of study, but from other related fields too.

Brief introduction to this section that descibes Open Access especially from an IntechOpen perspective

Want to get in touch? Contact our London head office or media team here

Our team is growing all the time, so we’re always on the lookout for smart people who want to help us reshape the world of scientific publishing.

Home > Books > Counseling and Therapy

Introductory Chapter: Counseling and Therapy

Published: 09 September 2020

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.92133

Cite this chapter

There are two ways to cite this chapter:

From the Edited Volume

Counseling and Therapy

Edited by Simon George Taukeni

To purchase hard copies of this book, please contact the representative in India: CBS Publishers & Distributors Pvt. Ltd. www.cbspd.com | [email protected]

Chapter metrics overview

1,287 Chapter Downloads

Impact of this chapter

Total Chapter Downloads on intechopen.com

Total Chapter Views on intechopen.com

Author Information

Simon george taukeni *.

• University of Namibia, Namibia

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

Counseling and therapy are concepts central to nearly all academic disciplines and serve as an interdisciplinary area of study. The field of counseling and psychotherapy represents a synthesis of ideas originated from science, philosophy, religion, and the arts [ 1 ]. The book covered the most practical counseling and therapy basic skills, different counseling approaches, and problem-based techniques. This book is written by specialists in the fields of counseling, psychology, health, and other related fields. University students, academics, researchers, life skills teachers, school and community counselors, and other community practitioners would find this book very useful in their professions.

2. Counseling and therapy

Counseling has been playing a pivotal role in the lives of many people who experienced a wide range of psychological, social, emotional, academic, spiritual, health, and physical issues for many years in memorial. For instance, counseling made considerable breakthroughs by meeting the needs of individuals who experience traumatic or sudden interruptions to their life development and social roles [ 1 ]. The concept of developing an individual’s potential through counseling is identified in the early Grecian societies, with their emphasis on developing and strengthening individuals so that they could fulfill their roles, reflecting the greatest potential for themselves and their societies [ 2 ]. Many of such developmental testimonies and breakthroughs are what make this book a useful source.

3. Individual and group counseling

Counseling is being delivered through one-to-one contact, in groups, with couples and families, over the telephone, and even through written materials such as books and self-help manuals [ 1 , 3 ]. It is also possible in the era of technology to conduct counseling via video calls, Skype, and livestreaming platforms. Individual counseling is a one-to-one helping relationship which focuses on a single person’s growth, adjustment, and problem-solving and decision-making needs [ 2 ]. Group counseling is the routine adjustment or developmental experiences provided in a group setting. Group counseling focuses on assisting clients to cope with their day-to-day adjustment and development concerns including behavior modification, developing personal relationship skills, concerns of human sexuality, values or attitudes, or career decision-making [ 2 ].

4. Basic counseling skills

It has long been established that counseling is a daunting and complex process. It is therefore paramount that basic counseling skills are required to have effective and successful counseling sessions. Examples of these skills are minimal responses, paraphrasing, reflective comments, questioning, clarification, silence, body language, summarizing, and evaluation. Even though these skills are well integrated in the entire book, the author has exemplified them briefly below.

4.1 Minimal responses

In most counseling situation, a counselor should know how to use the minimal responses as technique to encourage the client to open up more and as an indication that the counselor is actively listening. While the examples of minimal responses are many to single out, the most common ones are yes, uh, oh, really, mmh, and, so, yeah, and many others.

4.2 Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is simply to restate what the client has said in order to make sure the counselor understood the issue/issues correctly. At times, the counselor would need to confirm from the client the meaning of what was said in order to have the mutual understanding on the issue. It is important to note however that paraphrasing can be categorized into simple paraphrasing and advanced paraphrasing. The meaning of the latter is that, in simple paraphrasing, the counselor restates what the client has said by using the same exact words. Meanwhile, advanced paraphrasing means that the counselor uses different words than what the client has used with the same meaning. The main purpose with paraphrasing is simply to confirm to whether the counselor got the client correctly and what he or she meant. It is the search for meaning and mutual understanding between the counselor and the client.

4.3 Reflective comments

In addition to paraphrasing, the counselor may also use what is known as reflective comments during counseling process to ensure that information shared with the client are clear and accurate. Amis [ 3 ] notes that reflection is a skill that helps regulate the pace of the session as it allows both client and counselor to think back over what has been said previously and to consider any impact that it has on the present issue.

4.4 Questioning

A good counselor is one who knows how to ask questions and the type of questions during counseling process. The types of questions that are commonly useful to counseling process are open-ended questions and hypothetical questions. Also important but not commonly useful are closed-ended questions, why questions, leading questions, and either/or questions.

4.5 Clarification

In most counseling situations, the counselor would need to make use of clarification skills when the client’s information are vague, confusing, and incomplete [ 4 ]. It is therefore very important that the counselor may ask the client to clarify certain information during the session.

4.6 Silence

The counselor needs to practice listening to the client’s silences in order to try and find out what the reason for the silences are [ 4 ].

4.7 Body language

In order for a counselor and therapist to be effective and successful, he or she should be able to understand the clients’ body language. The examples of body language are as follows: body posture, body movement, facial expressions, eye contact, voice, general appearance, advanced empathy, and distance.

4.8 Summarizing

Importantly, the counselor needs to be a good listener to be able to get the whole picture of the client’s situation at hand. The summarizing skill enables the counselor to focus on the main points of a session.

4.9 Evaluation

Evaluation is believed to come nearer the end of the counseling relationship when the counselor encourages the client to reflect back over a change or development that has occurred and assess its value in the context of their life [ 3 ].

5. Counseling needs

Counseling needs are issues or situations that an individual may experience due to external factors and internal factors. Amis [ 3 ] asserts that external factors are situations that the client is in, the world and people around them, whereas the internal factors refer to the client’s inner world, their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and fears. The counseling usually attempts to address some of the following common issues, namely, addiction, loss, managing feelings, relationship difficulties, study methods, medical conditions, coping memories, financial difficulties, poverty, unemployment, career choices and self-development, and many others [ 3 ]. The role of counseling has also been well documented in terms of helping people to better deal with addiction problems related to drug and alcohol abuse, food addiction, and smoking. It has also played an important role toward people with particular health conditions such as HIV or AIDS, cancer, and various genetic disorders [ 1 ].

6. Counseling approaches and therapies

Several counseling approaches can be employed by counselors, therapists, and other educators. The common ones are humanistic counseling, psychodynamic counseling, cognitive-behavior counseling, and other contemporary counseling approaches. Each of these approaches has a different view of understanding behavior and how to change unwanted behavior [ 4 ] (see Figure 1 ).

The main counseling approaches (adopted from [ 3 ]).

7. Counseling session

A counseling session is structured nearly in the same way for various problems/issues facing the client/s. Therapies and interventions can vary considerably from client to client [ 5 ]. Before embarking on regular sessions, a contract is agreed between those involved that covers areas such as timing, venue, and confidentiality [ 3 ]. In general terms, counseling session is divided into three phases, namely, the beginning phase, middle phase, and end phase.

During the beginning phase, the counselor starts building relationship with the client and assessment of the problem. He or she would need to work together with the client to identify and define the problem. In the middle phase, the counselor starts working with the client to set up counseling goals and plan of action. The end phase is where the counselor would assess the progress made by the client and to terminate the counseling process after an evaluation of the initial goal of the counseling.

8. Conclusion

The importance of counseling and therapy cannot be overemphasized in the world that is facing numerous challenges as a result of technological advancement, educational needs, social-economical factors, and personal developmental needs. In order to addressing students’ needs such as study methods, student retention, dropout, peer pressure, relationship skills, and other academic activities, there should be a well-functioning and comprehensive guidance and counseling program in place. It is important to note that not every counseling approach can yield the best results; that is one of the reasons this book provided many different counseling approaches and therapies.

• 1. McLeod J. An Introduction to Counseling. Buckingham: Open University Press; 1993
• 2. Gibson RL, Mitchell MH. Introduction to Counseling and Guidance. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall; 2008
• 3. Amis K. Becoming a Counselor. London: Sage; 2011
• 4. Mostert ML. Guidance and Counseling/Guidance and Counseling 2: Study Guide. Windhoek: UNAM Center of External Studies; 2014
• 5. Beck JS. Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and beyond. New York: The Guilford; 2011

© 2020 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Continue reading from the same book

By Mohd Zarawi Mat Nor

1872 downloads

By Hector Chiboola

2107 downloads

By Livingstone Malinge Gqeba and Nokuzola Gloria Gqeb...

776 downloads

Active Listening: The Art of Empathetic Conversation

When done well, active listening builds and maintains therapeutic alliances and bonds by showing empathy and creating opportunities for healing and growth. By reflecting back the emotions we hear, the client experiences messages of support and encouragement to continue their therapeutic journey.

In counseling, therapy, and coaching, active listening is one of the most potent tools for improving in-session dynamics, overturning unhelpful mindsets, and supporting transformation.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . These science-based tools will help you and those you work with build better social skills and better connect with others.

This Article Contains:

What is active listening, what is empathetic listening, why is active listening as a skill important, how to use active listening in communication, 4 active listening skills, active listening exercises & techniques, communication resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Richard Nelson-Jones (2014) says we should recognize the difference between hearing and listening. While hearing involves receiving sounds and interpreting their meaning, listening involves accurately understanding their meaning.

Listening goes beyond hearing and committing words to memory by becoming aware and sensitive to nonverbal communication , such as the speaker’s tone of voice, timing, speed of talking, body language, and context.

Active listening can be summed up as entailing “not only accurately understanding speaker’s communication but also showing that understanding” and therefore embodies the skills of both the sender and the receiver (Nelson-Jones, 2014, p. 79).

It can also be helpful to consider what active listening isn’t (Miller & Rollnick, 2013):

• Distracting

Rather than examples of listening, each is a roadblock that gets in the way of the client’s self-exploration. The counselor, therapist, colleague, friend, and even loved one is saying, “Hold up, listen to me. I know best” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013).

The relationship with the client should take place within an egalitarian, nonhierarchical relationship, “with neither party occupying a ‘one-up’ or ‘one-down’ position in terms of status or authority” (Adams, 2016, p. 13).

Ultimately, the collaborative alliance must be fostered and maintained to allow goals, aspirations, fears, and plans to be worked through together.

Accurate empathy is a helpful tool for facilitating self-exploration and, when used for communication within therapy or the workplace, can be game changing (Miller & Rollnick, 2013; Engel, 2018).

Simply put, empathic listening involves reflecting back the emotions we hear; for example, “You sound angry and upset.” It shows understanding, encouraging the speaker to share more by validating them without judgment.

Ultimately, it requires us to suspend our biases and ego, showing that we are listening to understand rather than reply (Engel, 2018). For someone telling important truths about how they feel or sharing the experiences they are going through, nothing hurts more than not being heard.

Download 3 Communication Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to improve communication skills and enjoy more positive social interactions with others.

Download 3 Free Communication Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

• Email Address *
• Your Expertise * Your expertise Therapy Coaching Education Counseling Business Healthcare Other
• Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“Behind the discipline of good listening is a trust that it is useful for clients to explore their own experience and perceptions” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013, p. 49). Ultimately, it keeps people going, motivating them to enter uncomfortable areas of conversation and work through difficult material.

Listening occurs in four different contexts within counseling sessions (Nelson-Jones, 2014):

• Counselor listens to the therapist.
• Client listens to the counselor.
• Counselor listens to themself.
• Client listens to themself.

If someone is listening poorly or focusing too much on themself, they will miss out on much of what is being communicated. On the other hand, listening well, actively, to the other person can equally enhance their inner listening (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

Perhaps unsurprisingly, active listening is recognized as the central skill in forming and maintaining relationships within therapy and counseling.

It is possible to increase our understanding of what it takes to listen well, share and receive information, and form more robust emotional bonds (Abrahams & Groysberg, 2021; Westland, 2015).

Active listening in counseling

The American Psychological Association (n.d.) describes active listening as a “psychotherapeutic technique in which the therapist listens to a client closely, asking questions as needed, in order to fully understand the content of the message and the depth of the client’s emotion.”

Typically, it involves the counselor learning to practice the following.

Adopt an attitude of respect and acceptance

“An accepting attitude involves respecting clients as separate human beings with rights to their own thoughts and feelings” (Nelson-Jones, 2014, p. 82). As counselors, we must suspend any judgment of clients’ goodness or badness and recognize (as with our own) their capacity to fail based on the life skills they possess or are lacking.

We must also allow others to develop and grow at their own pace without trying to control or judge them. We must remain present and available, willing to let the clients’ experiences and emotions affect us.

Develop an understanding of our clients’ internal frame of reference

Active listening requires that we adopt the client’s perspective, understanding their internal frame of reference. Therefore, we must recognize and understand the separateness of “me” and “you” by breaking out of our internal frame of reference and learning to walk in their shoes.

Provide small rewards and use open-ended questions

“Small rewards are brief verbal and non-verbal expressions of interest designed to encourage clients to continue speaking” (Nelson-Jones, 2014, p. 96). When used well, they can motivate, support, and encourage the client, saying, “I’m here with you. Please continue.” They tell the client we are actively listening and would like to dig deeper.

Open-ended questions are powerful and a valuable way to promote active listening. “Do you feel your relationship is failing?” can be replaced with “How do you feel about your relationship?”

Closed questions can seem negative and potentially controlling, blocking clients’ access to their internal frame of reference.

Reflecting feelings

Reflecting feelings shows we are in tune with the other person. While similar to paraphrasing, it isn’t the same; we are “responding to clients’ music and not just their words” (Nelson-Jones, 2014, p. 102). It is difficult, requiring the listener to emphasize and experience the client’s emotional flow and then communicate it back.

One important skill that trainee counselors can learn involves listening for feeling words and phrases, including (Nelson-Jones, 2014):

Clients typically use a variety of feeling words, but they often cluster around central themes, such as a lack of self-confidence, difficulty coming to terms with loss, or fear of failing.

Once the counselor hears and understands these feelings, they can reflect them back, often using a variation of “You feel X because Y.”

“You’re angry and hurt because that person lied to you, and you can’t tell them anymore.”

Manage initial resistances

Resistance may present itself at any point during counseling. Perhaps the client is ambivalent, reluctant, or challenges the process based on what they think they need (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

Active listening skills can help with all forms of resistance. For example, a counselor encountering aggression, rather than challenging it or becoming sucked in, can reflect it back, showing, loud and clear, that the client’s feelings have been heard and registered.

Take the following example:

Client: “ This is a waste of time. My parents are idiots; they just don’t get me. ” Counselor: “ You are angry coming here because you feel your parents are the ones with the problems. ”

Feedback can open up further discussion regarding the client’s feelings toward their parents and inform a greater understanding that can build the counseling relationship.

Active empathic listening

Active empathic listening involves going beyond the person’s words and fully grasping their emotions. While valuable in any situation, it is particularly beneficial during therapy and in times of crisis (Crisis Prevention Institute, 2016; Westland, 2015).

Sometimes simply being with a person in a state of high emotional upset can be enough, especially when we are unsure of what to say or how best to provide comfort. Showing compassion and being willing to share our time can offer great support, mainly when we are doing the following (Crisis Prevention Institute, 2016):

• Being nonjudgmental
• Giving the other person our undivided attention
• Listening carefully to feelings and facts
• Sitting comfortably with silence
• Using nonverbal messages to show we are listening and understanding

When clients are either overwhelmed by their emotions or unable to put feelings into words, being present, open, and authentic can offer an environment where they can find a safe place to calm down to share how they feel (Westland, 2015).

The art of active listening – Harvard Business Review

Nelson-Jones (2014) suggests the following fundamental skills for effective active listening within the context of therapy sessions and beyond.

Receive voice messages accurately

How we frame our voice and our body can make significant differences to what we communicate, and it is vital that we maintain an awareness of each when speaking and listening. VAPER is a helpful acronym for monitoring and reviewing how our clients (or indeed ourselves) heighten or contradict the words we are using (modified from Nelson-Jones, 2014).

• Volume – How loudly or softly are we speaking?
• Articulation – Is our speech distinct? Does it lack clarity?
• Pitch – Are we pitching our voice too high or too low?
• Emphasis – Is our emphasis adequately contributing to the feelings we are sharing?
• Rate – Are we speaking too quickly, without adequate pauses, or so slowly that we appear weak or unmotivated?

Receive body messages accurately

Trainees and experienced counselors should pay particular attention to nonverbal messages shared by the client’s body. Such communication can indicate when they are holding back or concealing something, intentionally or otherwise.

Particular attention should be given to the following (Nelson-Jones, 2014):

• Facial expression – How does the expression on their face represent how they feel?
• Gaze – How much attention is directed at us? Where else are they looking?
• Eye contact – Are they avoiding deeper communication or giving too much away by restricting eye contact?
• Gestures – Are their gestures broad and sweeping or small, controlled, and inhibited?
• Posture – Does how they sit provide information regarding their degree of confidence?
• Physical closeness – Are they nearer or further away than four feet (a typical, acceptable distance between counselor and client)? And are there times they (or we) lean in closer to show interest or empathy?

Use paraphrasing

Mechanically parroting what another person is saying is annoying and damaging to the therapeutic relationship.

Instead, well-developed paraphrasing skills form part of active listening and show that the listener is engaged and understands what is being said (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

It is so effective that sparingly using the client’s words and staying close to their language style actually reward the speaker’s utterances.

Show awareness and understanding of context and differences

Clients’ problems have a context; they do not exist in a vacuum. For each person, the contextual variables vary, as does their relevance. We must consider what the following contextual factors mean for the client (Nelson-Jones, 2014):

• Health/medical
• Sexual orientation
• Support network

For counselors, it becomes increasingly important to become familiar with values, assumptions, and shared experiences relevant to communities within each of these groups.

For couples

Successful relationships rely on good communication, and communication in relationships can be improved with practice (Greiger, 2015).

• Validation Couples must learn to validate one another. Rather than simply recognizing what their partners say, they can learn to validate how they feel.
• Positive language Learning to use positive language  (rather than negative and critical language) can stop one partner from feeling ambushed or criticized.
• Increased eye contact Looking at our partners directly in a calm and relaxed way can increase understanding and reduce miscommunication. Have couples practice looking each other directly in the eyes for up to five minutes.

Children can also benefit from active listening, and it is a skill that will help them in multiple areas of their lives (Listenwise, n.d.).

• Stories and prediction Sharing stories with children in groups and then asking them reflective questions encourages them to develop their active listening skills.
• Creating questions Children can practice their active listening skills by writing down questions while listening to their teacher talking.
• Simon says This fun game is a great way to ensure that children are competent listeners while learning how to focus and maintain their attention.

For parents

Parents should focus on active listening when communicating with their children. The following active listening techniques can help (The Center for Parenting Education, n.d.).

• Show that you are listening to your child; they must realize they are worthy of your attention.
• Hearing their upsets and their distress can help demonstrate the importance of their thoughts and feelings.
• Allowing a child time to choose their course of action shows that you trust their reasoning.
• Practice not judging your child and accepting (even if not agreeing) with what they say.
• Learn to be objective and keep your personal feelings separate from your child.
• Do not enter a conversation with a specific result in mind.

For managers

Active listening can form a valuable part of staff coaching, but it takes practice. Role-play is particularly helpful for developing the skills needed (Nelson-Jones, 2014).

Dealing with resistance

Work with a peer to practice overcoming resistance by using active listening skills. Practice situations where the employee is resistant to opening up about issues or difficulties at work by:

• Showing increased emotional understanding
• Giving them permission to be reluctant
• Engaging with the individual’s self-interest and self-protection
• Rewarding them for their talking and sharing

Preparing the environment

Ensure that the environment is safe and secure for an open discussion. It can be helpful to set boundaries if there are several people to ensure that people aren’t talked over and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Avoiding limiting language

Using the wrong sort of language can stop people from actively communicating. Try to avoid statements such as the following (Horton, 2019):

• Providing advice – “Why don’t you do this?” “You should try to …”
• Telling stories – “That reminds me of when I …”
• One-upping – “That’s nothing. You should have seen what happened when I …”

It is all too easy to stop people from openly communicating by suggesting that their views – what they think and how they feel – are less important.

Try these communication exercises for work  to help implement active listening in the workplace.

17 Exercises To Develop Positive Communication

17 Positive Communication Exercises [PDFs] to help others develop communication skills for successful social interactions and positive, fulfilling relationships.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

We have many resources available for improving the communication skills of therapists, counselors, and their clients.

Free resources include:

• Anger Exit and Re-Entry Share this three-step process with clients to take a couple from conflict to constructive communication.
• Conflict Resolution Checklist A valuable 10-item checklist to help resolve conflict
• Using “I” Statements Using “I” Statements can be a straightforward way to communicate how you feel while simultaneously owning your feelings and outlining the details of the problem as you perceive it.
• Assertive Communication Understand the difference between assertive, aggressive, and passive communication  by reflecting on personal scenarios.

More extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit© , but they are described briefly below:

• Active-Constructive Responding This exercise introduces participants to the concept of capitalization interactions in which one person talks about something positive that happened to them, and another person responds to that disclosure.
• Listening Without Trying to Solve This tool is based on the concept of listening without problem-solving. The group exercise invites participants to pair up and experience two scenarios: (1) sharing a problem while being listened to and (2) sharing a problem while receiving advice and solutions.

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others communicate better, check out this collection of 17 validated positive communication tools for practitioners. Use them to help others improve their communication skills and form deeper and more positive relationships.

Active listening is more than just sitting back quietly; it involves “what the interviewer says in response to what the speaker offers” (Miller & Rollnick, 2013, p. 49).

Rather than putting up roadblocks to open dialogue (blaming, shaming, and over-analyzing), the friend, colleague, family member, and therapist must show they are listening, understanding, and empathizing.

Neither party should aim for one-upmanship or authority, but rather should aim to form a collaborative alliance. When we show empathy as part of active listening, we encourage the speaker to share more by validating without judgment.

Active and empathetic listening is a vital skill in counseling. Mental health professionals adopt an attitude of respect and acceptance, understanding their client’s internal frame of reference and reflecting back feelings to show they are in tune.

To ensure active listening with clients, we must remain present and available. And perhaps most importantly, we must learn and have the courage to walk in their shoes.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Communication Exercises (PDF) for free . References

• Abrahams, R., & Groysberg, B. (2021, December 21). How to become a better listener . Harvard Business Review. Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://hbr.org/2021/12/how-to-become-a-better-listener
• Adams, M. (2016). Coaching psychology in schools: Enhancing performance, development and wellbeing . Routledge.
• American Psychological Association. (n.d.) Active listening. In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://dictionary.apa.org/active-listening
• The Center for Parenting Education. (n.d.). The skill of listening . Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/healthy-communication/the-skill-of-listening/
• Crisis Prevention Institute. (2016, October 12). 7 tips for empathic listening . Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://www.crisisprevention.com/Blog/7-Tips-for-Empathic-Listening
• Listenwise. (n.d.). Developing listening skills for kids . Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://listenwise.com/active_listening_kids
• Engel, J. (2018, December 19). How empathic and active listening can improve workplace communication . Forbes. Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/12/19/how-empathic-and-active-listening-can-improve-workplace-communication/
• Greiger, R. (2015). The couples therapy companion: A cognitive behavior workbook . Routledge.
• Horton, A. (2019, July 7). How I learned to be better at active listening as a manager . Fast Company. Retrieved June 19, 2022, from https://www.fastcompany.com/90372821/how-i-learned-to-be-better-at-active-listening-as-a-manager
• Miller, W. R., & Rollnick, S. (2013). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change . Guilford Press.
• Nelson-Jones, R. (2014). Practical counselling and helping skills . Sage.
• Westland, G. (2015). Verbal and non-verbal communication in psychotherapy . W.W. Norton & Company.

Share this article:

Article feedback

What our readers think.

It covers a variety of topics and offers very useful information. The lessen leant are most helpful and will definitely improve my listening skills.

Straight forward and easy to read, with good advice and takeaways.

its really helpful.

Its helpful to us for learning.

Let us know your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Related articles

How to Say No & Master the Art of Personal Freedom

In a world that often values compliance over authenticity, the notion of personal freedom becomes not just a luxury but a necessity for our wellbeing [...]

Conflict Resolution Training: 18 Best Courses and Master’s Degrees

All humans have some things in common. We all need air to breathe and water to stay alive. We are all social beings, and if [...]

How to Foster Positive Communication: 9 Effective Techniques

Can you recall a really good conversation you’ve had? What was memorable about it? Was it the topic, the words, or just a feeling it [...]

Read other articles by their category

• Body & Brain (53)
• Coaching & Application (58)
• Compassion (25)
• Counseling (51)
• Emotional Intelligence (23)
• Gratitude (18)
• Grief & Bereavement (21)
• Happiness & SWB (40)
• Meaning & Values (26)
• Meditation (20)
• Mindfulness (44)
• Motivation & Goals (46)
• Optimism & Mindset (34)
• Positive CBT (30)
• Positive Communication (22)
• Positive Education (48)
• Positive Emotions (32)
• Positive Leadership (19)
• Positive Parenting (16)
• Positive Psychology (34)
• Positive Workplace (37)
• Productivity (18)
• Relationships (45)
• Resilience & Coping (39)
• Self Awareness (21)
• Self Esteem (38)
• Strengths & Virtues (32)
• Stress & Burnout Prevention (34)
• Theory & Books (46)
• Therapy Exercises (37)
• Types of Therapy (64)

• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

• TEFL Internship
• TEFL Masters
• Find a TEFL Course
• Special Offers
• Course Providers
• Teach English Abroad
• Find a TEFL Job
• About DoTEFL
• Our Mission
• How DoTEFL Works

Forgotten Password

• What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples
• Learn English
• James Prior
• No Comments
• Updated February 23, 2024

What is paraphrasing? Or should I say what is the definition of paraphrasing? If you want to restate something using different words whilst retaining the same meaning, this is paraphrasing.

In this article, we cover what paraphrasing is, why it’s important, and when you should do it. Plus, some benefits and examples.

Table of Contents

Paraphrase Definition: What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is when you restate the information from a source using your own words while maintaining the original meaning. It involves expressing the ideas in a different way, often to clarify or simplify the content, without directly quoting the source.

When you paraphrase, you are not only borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on the information but also ensuring that you do all of these actions without plagiarizing the original content. It’s therefore definitely worth learning how to paraphrase if you want to improve your writing skills.

Why is Paraphrasing Important?

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill that allows you to convey information in your unique writing style while still giving credit to someone else’s ideas. It’s important for several reasons, and it serves various functions in both academic and professional writing.

Here are some key reasons why you should paraphrase:

• Paraphrasing allows you to present information from sources in your own words, reducing the risk of plagiarism. Proper in-text citation is still necessary, but paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding and interpretation of the material.
• When you paraphrase, you are required to comprehend the original content fully. You actively engage with the information, helping you better understand complex concepts and ideas. This process of restating the information in your own words showcases your understanding of the subject matter.
• By paraphrasing, you can clarify complex ideas or technical language and convey information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form. This makes it more accessible to your audience and ensures they grasp the key points. This is particularly important when communicating with readers who may not be familiar with specialized terminology.
• Paraphrasing is valuable when synthesizing information from various sources. It enables you to blend ideas cohesively while maintaining a consistent writing style throughout your work.
• Paraphrasing allows you to inject your unique writing style and voice into the content. It helps you present information in a way that is more aligned with your personal expression and perspective.
• In certain situations where you need to meet specific length requirements for assignments or publications, paraphrasing allows you to convey information more concisely while still preserving the essential meaning.
• Paraphrasing helps maintain a smooth flow and cohesiveness in your writing. It allows you to integrate information seamlessly, avoiding abrupt shifts between your own ideas and those from external sources.
• Depending on your audience, you may need to adapt the language and level of technicality of the information you present. Paraphrasing allows you to tailor the content to suit the needs of your specific readership.

Incorporating paraphrasing into your writing not only showcases your understanding of the material but also enhances the overall quality and originality of your work.

When Should You Paraphrase?

Knowing when to paraphrase is an important skill, especially in academic writing and professional communication. Here are some situations in which you should consider paraphrasing:

• To Avoid Plagiarism:  Whenever you want to incorporate information from source material into your own work, but don’t want to use a direct quotation, paraphrasing is necessary to present the ideas in your own words while still acknowledging the original source.
• To Express Understanding:  Paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of a topic by rephrasing the information in a way that shows you have processed and comprehended the material.
• To Simplify Complex Information:  If you encounter complex or technical language that may be difficult for your audience to understand, paraphrasing can help you clarify and simplify the information to make it more accessible and digestible.
• To Integrate Multiple Sources:  When synthesizing information from multiple sources, paraphrasing allows you to blend the ideas cohesively while maintaining your own voice and perspective.
• To Maintain Consistency in Writing Style:  In academic writing or professional writing, paraphrasing can help you maintain a consistent writing style throughout your work. This helps to ensure that all sections flow smoothly and are coherent.
• To Meet Specific Requirements:  Some assignments or publications may have specific requirements. This could relate to the number of words or concern the use of direct quotations. In such cases, paraphrasing allows you to meet these requirements while still incorporating relevant information from your sources.

What Are the Benefits of Paraphrasing?

Rewriting information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form is called paraphrasing, so one of the benefits of paraphrasing is already clear! However, it can also be a useful exercise for other reasons, which are outlined below:

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the main benefits of paraphrasing is mastering the ability to present information from external sources in a way that is entirely your own. By restructuring the content and expressing it using your words, you create a distinct piece of writing that reflects your comprehension and interpretation of the original material. This not only showcases your academic or professional integrity but also safeguards against unintentional plagiarism.

Paraphrasing is a fundamental skill in academic and professional settings, where originality and proper attribution are highly valued. This is especially true when it comes to writing research papers, where you’ll often need to reference someone else’s ideas with appropriate citations.

When you paraphrase effectively, you communicate to your audience that you respect the intellectual property of others while contributing your unique insights. This ethical approach to information usage enhances your credibility as a writer or researcher and reinforces the integrity of your work.

Enhancing Understanding

When you engage in paraphrasing, you actively participate in the material you are working with. You are forced to consider the ideas presented in the source material. You need to discern the essential concepts, identify key phrases, and decide how best to convey the message in a way that resonates with you.

This active engagement not only aids in understanding the content but also encourages critical thinking as you evaluate and interpret the information from your own standpoint.

By expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, you deepen your understanding of the content. This process requires you to dissect the original text, grasp its nuances, and then reconstruct it using your language and perspective. In this way, you go beyond mere memorization and truly internalize the information, fostering a more profound comprehension of the subject matter.

Tailoring Information for Your Audience

Paraphrasing empowers you to adapt the language and complexity of the information to suit the needs and understanding of your audience. As you rephrase the content, you have the flexibility to adjust the level of technicality, simplify complex terminology, or tailor the tone to make the information more accessible to your specific readership.

Consider your audience’s background, knowledge level, and interests. Paraphrasing allows you to bridge the gap between the original content and the understanding of your intended audience.

Whether you are communicating with experts in a particular field or a general audience, the ability to paraphrase ensures that the information is conveyed in a way that resonates with and is comprehensible to your readers. This skill not only facilitates effective communication but also demonstrates your awareness of the diverse needs of your audience.

Improves Writing Skills

Paraphrasing helps in the development and refinement of your writing skills. When you actively engage in the process of rephrasing someone else’s ideas, you hone your ability to express concepts in a clear, concise, and coherent manner.

This practice refines your language proficiency, encouraging you to explore different types of sentence structure, experiment with vocabulary, and ultimately develop a more sophisticated and nuanced writing style.

As you paraphrase, you gain a heightened awareness of grammar, syntax, and word choice. This translates into improved writing, helping you construct well-articulated sentences and paragraphs. Moreover, paraphrasing allows you to experiment with different writing tones and adapt your style to suit the context or purpose of your writing, fostering versatility and adaptability in your expression.

Saves Time and Energy

Paraphrasing can significantly reduce the time and energy spent on the writing process. Rather than grappling with the challenge of integrating lengthy direct quotations or struggling to find the perfect synonym, paraphrasing allows you to distill and convey information in a more streamlined way.

This becomes particularly advantageous when faced with strict deadlines. By mastering paraphrasing, you empower yourself to produce well-crafted, original content in a shorter timeframe, allowing you to meet deadlines without compromising the quality of your work.

Examples of Paraphrasing

Here are some examples of paraphrasing:

• Original:  “The advancements in technology have revolutionized the way we communicate with each other.”
• Paraphrased:  “Technological progress has transformed how we interact and communicate with one another.”
• Original:  “Deforestation poses a significant threat to global ecosystems and biodiversity.”
• Paraphrased:  “The impact of deforestation represents a substantial danger to ecosystems and the diversity of life on a global scale.”
• Original:  “Effective time management is essential for achieving productivity in both professional and personal spheres.”
• Paraphrased:  “Efficient management of time is crucial for attaining productivity in both professional and personal aspects of life.”
• Original:  “The restaurant offers a diverse selection of culinary choices, ranging from traditional dishes to modern fusion cuisine.”
• Paraphrased:  “The restaurant provides a variety of food options, including both traditional and modern fusion dishes.”
• Original:  “The novel explores the complexities of human relationships in a rapidly changing society.”
• Paraphrased:  “The book delves into the challenges of human connections in a fast-changing world.”
• Original:  “Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health and preventing various health issues.”
• Paraphrased:  “Exercising regularly is important for keeping your body healthy and avoiding health problems.”

In these examples, you can observe the use of different wording, sentence structure, and synonyms while preserving the core meaning of the original sentences. This is the essence of paraphrasing.

What Are the Differences Between Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing?

So, we’ve established that successful paraphrasing is a way of rewriting someone else’s words whilst retaining their meaning and still giving credit to the original author’s ideas. But how is this different from quoting and summarizing?

While paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing are all ways of incorporating information from source material into your own writing, there are key differences between them:

Paraphrasing

• Definition:  Paraphrasing involves rephrasing someone else’s ideas or information in your own words while retaining the original meaning.
• Usage:  You use paraphrasing when you want to present the information in a way that suits your writing style or when you need to clarify complex ideas.
• Example:  Original: “The study found a significant correlation between sleep deprivation and decreased cognitive performance.” Paraphrased: “The research indicated a notable link between lack of sleep and a decline in cognitive function.”
• Definition:  Quoting involves directly using the exact words from a source and enclosing them in quotation marks.
• Usage:  You use quoting when the original wording is essential, either because of its precision or uniqueness, or when you want to highlight a specific phrase or concept.
• Example:  Original: “The author argues, ‘In the absence of clear guidelines, individual judgment becomes paramount in decision-making.'”

The use of quotation marks is vital when quoting.

Summarizing

• Definition:  Summarizing involves condensing the main ideas of a source or original passage in your own words, focusing on the most crucial points.
• Usage:  You use summarizing when you need to provide a concise overview of a longer piece of text or when you want to capture the key points without including all the details.
• Example:  Original: A lengthy article discussing various factors influencing climate change. Summary: “The article outlines key factors contributing to climate change, including human activities and natural processes.”

In summary, paraphrasing is about expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, quoting involves directly using the original words, and summarizing is about condensing the main points of a source.

Each technique serves different purposes in writing and should be used based on your specific goals and the nature of the information you are incorporating. If you want to level up your writing skills you need to be able to do all three of these.

Conclusion (In Our Own Words)

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill with numerous benefits. It helps you understand complex ideas, refine your writing style, and demonstrate ethical information use. It also allows you to tailor information for different audiences and can save time in academic and professional writing.

So, if you want to incorporate information from external sources into your writing in a way that is clear, concise, and respectful of the original author’s work, it’s worth mastering the art of paraphrasing.

• Recent Posts

• 113+ American Slang Words & Phrases With Examples - May 29, 2024
• 11 Best Business English Courses Online - May 29, 2024
• How to Teach Business English - May 27, 2024

More from DoTEFL

How To Advertise Tutoring Services & Get More Students

• Updated February 26, 2024

119 Common English Idioms With Their Meanings and Examples

• Updated November 2, 2023

51 Prompts for Narrative Writing to Spark the Imagination

• Updated January 29, 2024

How to Create a Teacher Email Signature That Stands Out

• Updated November 1, 2023

The 1000 Most Common English Words

15 Companies Where You Can Teach English Online With No Degree

• Updated January 16, 2024
• The global TEFL course directory.

Paraphrasing Tool

Paraphrasing Tool in partnership with QuillBot. Paraphrase everywhere with the free Chrome Extension .

Try our other writing services

Avoid plagiarism in your paraphrased text

What is a paraphrasing tool?

This AI-powered paraphrasing tool lets you rewrite text in your own words. Use it to  paraphrase articles, essays, and other pieces of text. You can also use it to rephrase sentences and find synonyms for individual words. And the best part? It’s all 100% free!

What is paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing involves expressing someone else’s ideas or thoughts in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Paraphrasing tools can help you quickly reword text by replacing certain words with synonyms or restructuring sentences. They can also make your text more concise, clear, and suitable for a specific audience. Paraphrasing is an essential skill in academic writing and professional communication. 

Why use this paraphrasing tool?

• Save time: Gone are the days when you had to reword sentences yourself; now you can rewrite an individual sentence or a complete text with one click.
• Improve your writing: Your writing will always be clear and easy to understand. Automatically ensure consistent language throughout. 
• Preserve original meaning: Paraphrase without fear of losing the point of your text.
• No annoying ads: We care about the user experience, so we don’t run any ads.
• Accurate: Reliable and grammatically correct paraphrasing.
• No sign-up required: We don’t need your data for you to use our paraphrasing tool.
• Super simple to use: A simple interface even your grandma could use.
• It’s 100% free: No hidden costs, just unlimited use of a free paraphrasing tool.

People are in love with our paraphrasing tool

No Signup Needed

You don’t have to register or sign up. Insert your text and get started right away.

The Paraphraser is Ad-Free

Don’t wait for ads or distractions. The paraphrasing tool is ad-free!

Multi-lingual

Use our paraphraser for texts in different languages.

Features of the paraphrasing tool

Rephrase individual sentences

With the Scribbr Paraphrasing Tool, you can easily reformulate individual sentences.

• Write varied headlines
• Rephrase the subject line of an email
• Create unique image captions

Paraphrase a whole text

Our paraphraser can also help with longer passages (up to 125 words per input). Upload your document or copy your text into the input field.

With one click, you can reformulate the entire text.

Find synonyms with ease

Simply click on any word to open the interactive thesaurus.

• Choose from a list of suggested synonyms
• Find the synonym with the most appropriate meaning
• Replace the word with a single click

Paraphrase in two ways

• Standard: Offers a compromise between modifying and preserving the meaning of the original text
• Fluency: Improves language and corrects grammatical mistakes

Upload different types of documents

Upload any Microsoft Word document, Google Doc, or PDF into the paraphrasing tool.

Download or copy your results

After you’re done, you can easily download or copy your text to use somewhere else.

Powered by AI

The paraphrasing tool uses natural language processing to rewrite any text you give it. This way, you can paraphrase any text within seconds.

Avoid accidental plagiarism

Want to make sure your document is plagiarism-free? In addition to our paraphrasing tool, which will help you rephrase sentences, quotations, or paragraphs correctly, you can also use our anti-plagiarism software to make sure your document is unique and not plagiarized.

Scribbr’s anti-plagiarism software enables you to:

• Detect plagiarism more accurately than other tools
• Ensure that your paraphrased text is valid
• Highlight the sources that are most similar to your text

Start for free

How does this paraphrasing tool work?

1. put your text into the paraphraser, 2. select your method of paraphrasing, 3. select the quantity of synonyms you want, 4. edit your text where needed, who can use this paraphrasing tool.

Paraphrasing tools can help students to understand texts and improve the quality of their writing. 

Create original lesson plans, presentations, or other educational materials.

Researchers

Explain complex concepts or ideas to a wider audience. 

Journalists

Quickly and easily rephrase text to avoid repetitive language.

Copywriters

By using a paraphrasing tool, you can quickly and easily rework existing content to create something new and unique.

Bloggers can rewrite existing content to make it their own.

Writers who need to rewrite content, such as adapting an article for a different context or writing content for a different audience.

A paraphrasing tool lets you quickly rewrite your original content for each medium, ensuring you reach the right audience on each platform.

The all-purpose paraphrasing tool

The Scribbr Paraphrasing Tool is the perfect assistant in a variety of contexts.

Brainstorming

Writer’s block? Use our paraphraser to get some inspiration.

Professional communication

Produce creative headings for your blog posts or PowerPoint slides.

Academic writing

Paraphrase sources smoothly in your thesis or research paper.

Social media

Craft memorable captions and content for your social media posts.

Paraphrase text online, for free

The Scribbr Paraphrasing Tool lets you rewrite as many sentences as you want—for free.

Write with 100% confidence 👉

Scribbr & academic integrity.

Scribbr is committed to protecting academic integrity. Our plagiarism checker , AI Detector , Citation Generator , proofreading services , paraphrasing tool, grammar checker , summarizer , and free Knowledge Base content are designed to help students produce quality academic papers.

Ask our team

Want to contact us directly? No problem.  We  are always here for you.

• Email [email protected]
• Start live chat
• Call +1 (510) 822-8066
• WhatsApp +31 20 261 6040

Frequently asked questions

The act of putting someone else’s ideas or words into your own words is called paraphrasing, rephrasing, or rewording. Even though they are often used interchangeably, the terms can mean slightly different things:

Paraphrasing is restating someone else’s ideas or words in your own words while retaining their meaning. Paraphrasing changes sentence structure, word choice, and sentence length to convey the same meaning.

Rephrasing may involve more substantial changes to the original text, including changing the order of sentences or the overall structure of the text.

Rewording is changing individual words in a text without changing its meaning or structure, often using synonyms.

It can. One of the two methods of paraphrasing is called “Fluency.” This will improve the language and fix grammatical errors in the text you’re paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing and using a paraphrasing tool aren’t cheating. It’s a great tool for saving time and coming up with new ways to express yourself in writing.  However, always be sure to credit your sources. Avoid plagiarism.  

If you don’t properly cite text paraphrased from another source, you’re plagiarizing. If you use someone else’s text and paraphrase it, you need to credit the original source. You can do that by using citations. There are different styles, like APA, MLA, Harvard, and Chicago. Find more information about citing sources here.

Paraphrasing without crediting the original author is a form of plagiarism , because you’re presenting someone else’s ideas as if they were your own.

However, paraphrasing is not plagiarism if you correctly cite the source . This means including an in-text citation and a full reference, formatted according to your required citation style .

As well as citing, make sure that any paraphrased text is completely rewritten in your own words.

Plagiarism means using someone else’s words or ideas and passing them off as your own. Paraphrasing means putting someone else’s ideas in your own words.

So when does paraphrasing count as plagiarism?

• Paraphrasing is plagiarism if you don’t properly credit the original author.
• Paraphrasing is plagiarism if your text is too close to the original wording (even if you cite the source). If you directly copy a sentence or phrase, you should quote it instead.
• Paraphrasing  is not plagiarism if you put the author’s ideas completely in your own words and properly cite the source .

Try our services

• Literary Terms
• Definition & Examples
• When & How to Use Paraphrase

I. What is a Paraphrase?

A paraphrase (pronounced par – uh -freyz) is a restatement or rewording of a paragraph  or text,  in order to borrow, clarify, or expand on information without plagiarizing. Paraphrasing is an important tool to use when writing research papers, essays , and pieces of journalism.

II. Examples of Paraphrasing

For examples of paraphrasing, consider these possible re-wordings of the same statement:

She angered me with her inappropriate comments, rumor-spreading, and disrespectfulness at the formal dinner table.

She made me angry when she was rude at dinner.

This paraphrase is an example of a rewording which shortens and simplifies while maintaining the same meaning.

Her impoliteness, gossiping, and general lack of respect at dinner infuriated me.

This rephrasing maintains the same meaning but is rearranged in a creative way.

I was mad when she started spreading rumors, making inappropriate comments, and disrespecting other guests at our dinner.

Another paraphrase, this rewording properly and interestingly rearranges the information provided in the original sentence.

III. Types of Paraphrasing

A. change of parts of speech.

Parts of speech ranging from verbs and nouns to adjectives and adverbs are replaced with new parts of speech in this type of paraphrasing. Here is an example:

Original Sentence:

The boy quickly ran across the finish line, seizing yet another victory.

Paraphrase:

The quick boy seized yet another victory when he ran across the finish line.

In this example, many parts of speech are changed: the adverb quickly becomes the adjective quick, and the verb phrase with the gerund seizing becomes the verb seized.

B.  Change of Structure

This type of paraphrasing involves changing the sentence’s structure, sometimes creating a passive voice from an active voice and vice versa. The change in structure can be used to reflect the writer’s interpretation of the original quote. Here is an example of change of structure paraphrasing:

Puppies were adopted by numerous kind souls at the puppy drive.

Many kind souls adopted puppies during the puppy drive.

In this example, the object of the sentence (kind souls) becomes the subject with an active voice (adopted) rather than a passive voice (were adopted).

C. Reduction of Clauses

Reduction of clauses paraphrases reduce the number of clauses in a sentence, which can be interruptive or confusing, by incorporating the phrases into the sentence. Here is an example of reduction of clauses paraphrasing:

While I understand where you’re coming from, and truly respect your opinion, I wish you would express yourself more clearly, like Clara does.

I understand where you’re coming from and respect your opinion, but I wish you would be more like Clara and express yourself more clearly.

D. Synonym Replacement

Synonym replacement paraphrasing is one of the simplest forms of paraphrasing: replacing words with similar words, or synonyms. Here is an example:

The older citizens were honored with a parade for those once in the military.

Senior citizens were honored with a march for veterans.

In this example, many synonyms are used: older citizens are senior citizens, a parade becomes a march, and those once in the military refers to veterans.

IV. The Importance of Using Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is a way of referencing a source without directly quoting it or of further explaining a selected quote. Correct paraphrasing is important in that poor paraphrasing can result in accusations of plagiarism, or copying from a source without correctly citing it. Paraphrasing allows writers to examine the meaning of others’ work, creatively rephrase their statements, and craft information to suit an essay or composition’s goal or focus.

V. Paraphrase in Literature

Paraphrasing can be found in a variety of journalistic sources from newspapers to film documentaries to literary journals. Here are a few examples of paraphrasing in literature:

Someone once wrote that musicians are touched on the shoulder by God, and I think it’s true. You can make other people happy with music, but you can make yourself happy too.

In John Berendt’s nonfiction novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil , a character references what someone has once written by paraphrasing their message.

I’m going to paraphrase Thoreau here… rather than love, than money, than faith, than fame, than fairness… give me truth.

In this example from the nonfiction novel Into the Wild , Jon Krakauer paraphrases Thoreau’s larger message of transcendence.

So far, Laurance’s critiques of new road-building schemes have been well received, but he expects that to change.

In Michelle Nijhuis’ article “What Roads Have Wrought,” William Laurance is paraphrased rather than quoted to express his general viewpoint.

VI. Paraphrase in Pop Culture

Paraphrasing is often found in pop culture when attempting to translate the language of older plays, poems, and stories, such as Shakespeare’s works. Here are a few examples of paraphrasing in pop culture:

10 Things I Hate About You (1999):

Just a minor encounter with the shrew… the mewling, rampalian wretch herself.

In the modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew , many characters ’ lines paraphrase Shakespeare’s originals. Here is Shakespeare’s version:

A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew.

A Different World: Romeo, Oh Romeo

First, the student reads Shakespeare’s original words:

Oh gentle Romeo. If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully. Or if thou thinkest I’m too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse and say thee nay, so thou wilt woo.

Then, she paraphrases to translate its meaning for modern ears:

It’s all about translation. Oh, sweet thang Romeo. If you think I’m all that, then step to me correctly. But if you think I’m a skeeze, I’ll be dissin’ and dismissin’, then you’ll be workin’ overtime getting’ me back.

VII. Related Terms

Like paraphrases, summaries are rewordings of original statements. Whereas paraphrases are precise and specific, summaries are brief and selective. Summaries report main points in a shortened version of the original, whereas paraphrases simply restate the original statement in a new way. Here is an example of summary versus paraphrase:

Original Statement:

At the party we had delicious red punch, a bunch of different appetizers, and a cookout. Since it was at the park, we played volleyball, went swimming, and sunbathed for fun.

At the party we enjoyed food and drink and various outdoor activities.

Here, the summary purposefully shortens the original statement while covering its major points.

At the party we drank some punch, ate a handful of appetizers, and had a cookout. The park allowed us to enjoy a number of enjoyable activities from volleyball to swimming to sunbathing.

As this example shows, the paraphrase rephrases the original statement and keeps more of its original content than the summary.

Translation

Although paraphrase sometimes translates difficult phrasing into more understandable phrasing, it is not literally considered translation. For something to be a translation, it must change writing in one language to another language. Here is an example of translation versus paraphrasing:

Original Phrase:

That’s life.

Translation into French:

C’est la vie.

That’s just how life goes sometimes.

Although we loosely may refer to paraphrase as translating ideas, technically it is not a tool of translation.

VIII. In Closing

Paraphrasing is an important tool for nonfiction writers, journalists, and essayists alike. It is a common proponent of news and reporting. Correct paraphrasing protects writers from plagiarism and allows them to creatively rephrase original works, incorporating them into their own compositions.

List of Terms

• Alliteration
• Amplification
• Anachronism
• Anthropomorphism
• Antonomasia
• APA Citation
• Aposiopesis
• Autobiography
• Bildungsroman
• Characterization
• Circumlocution
• Cliffhanger
• Comic Relief
• Connotation
• Deus ex machina
• Deuteragonist
• Doppelganger
• Double Entendre
• Dramatic irony
• Equivocation
• Extended Metaphor
• Figures of Speech
• Flash-forward
• Foreshadowing
• Intertextuality
• Juxtaposition
• Literary Device
• Malapropism
• Onomatopoeia
• Parallelism
• Pathetic Fallacy
• Personification
• Point of View
• Polysyndeton
• Protagonist
• Red Herring
• Rhetorical Device
• Rhetorical Question
• Science Fiction
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
• Synesthesia
• Turning Point
• Understatement
• Urban Legend
• Verisimilitude
• Essay Guide
• Cite This Website