Take a few moments to answer the following questions to help you summarise what you have learnt in this section. This will help you answer the upcoming assessment questions at the end of the unit.1. What is 'active listening'?a) The process of listening but never maintaining eye contactb) A technique that involves taking an interest in the other person and making them feel worthy, appreciated and respectedc) A technique which requires the counsellor to ask a variety of questionsd) The process of summarising what has just been said

Active listening is a communication technique used in counselling, training, and conflict resolution, which requires the listener to fully concentrate, understand, respond and then remember what is being said. This is opposed to passive listening, where the listener doesn't have to respond or remember the conversation.

Here are the answers to your questions:

1. What is 'active listening'?
   • a) This is not correct. Active listening does not only involve maintaining eye contact, but it also involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding and remembering what is being said.
   • b) This is correct. Active listening involves taking an interest in the other person and making them feel worthy, appreciated and respected. It's about creating a safe and open environment where the speaker feels heard and understood.
   • c) This is partially correct. While active listening may involve asking questions for clarification or to encourage the speaker to express their thoughts and feelings, it is not the only requirement. Active listening also involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding and remembering what is being said.
   • d) This is also correct. Summarising what has just been said is a part of active listening. It helps to ensure that the listener has correctly understood the speaker's message.