Reflective Listening & Summaries – Strengthening Understanding
Reflective listening and summaries are key techniques in Motivational Interviewing (MI) that help peers feel heard, understood, and supported. These techniques deepen engagement, clarify conversations, and reinforce key insights, making them essential tools for effective peer support.
💡 Key Insight: When peers feel truly heard and understood, they are more likely to trust the conversation and explore their own reasons for change.
🔹 Why Reflective Listening Matters in Peer Support
✔ Builds Trust – Peers feel valued and respected when their words are reflected back to them.
✔ Encourages Deeper Exploration – Helps peers process their thoughts and emotions more clearly.
✔ Reduces Defensiveness – When peers hear their own thoughts reflected back, they feel less judged.
✔ Strengthens Motivation – Peers gain a clearer sense of their own goals and barriers.
💡 Pro Tip: Reflective listening is more than just repeating back words—it involves capturing the deeper meaning behind what a peer is saying.
🔹 Types of Reflections
✔ Simple Reflection – Repeats or slightly rephrases what the peer has said.
Example:
🔹 Peer: “I don’t know if I’m ready to quit.”
🔹 Facilitator: “You’re feeling unsure about quitting.”
✔ Complex Reflection – Adds meaning or highlights an underlying emotion.
Example:
🔹 Peer: “I always fail when I try to stop using.”
🔹 Facilitator: “It sounds like you’re frustrated and worried that change won’t last.”
💡 Pro Tip: A well-placed reflection encourages the peer to elaborate and explore their own thoughts more deeply.
🔹 Summaries – Reinforcing Key Insights
Summaries bring together the important points of a conversation, reinforcing motivation and helping peers see their progress.
✔ How to Structure a Summary:
1️⃣ Start with a Brief Recap – “So far, you’ve shared that…”
2️⃣ Highlight Change Talk – “It sounds like you really want to improve your health.”
3️⃣ Check for Accuracy – “Did I get that right?”
Example:
🔹 Peer: “I want to be there for my kids, but staying sober is hard.”
🔹 Facilitator: “You really care about being present for your children, and at the same time, staying sober feels challenging. Let’s talk about what support could help.”
💡 Pro Tip: A good summary helps a peer see the progress they’ve made in the conversation and feel more confident about next steps.
🔹 Key Takeaways
✔ Reflective listening deepens engagement, reduces defensiveness, and encourages self-exploration.
✔ Simple and complex reflections help peers feel understood and supported.
✔ Summaries reinforce key points, clarify goals, and encourage motivation for change.
✔ Effective reflections and summaries keep conversations focused and productive.
📌 Next Step: Take the Knowledge Check for this Topic, then move on to the next lesson!