Active Listening Skills
- S – S stands for sitting squarely. So you sit and face the person that you are talking to. We should sit attentively at an angle to the person, so that we can look at them directly and show that we are listening to them and paying attention to them.
- O – O stands for having an open posture. Do not cross your arms as this can make us appear anxious or defensive.
- L – Lean forwards to show we are interested in what the person is talking about. It also means that the person can lower their voice if they wish to, if they are talking about personal issues, for example.
- E – E stands for eye contact. Maintaining eye contact again shows that we are interested and listening to what the person has to say. It doesn’t mean stare at the person as this can make them feel uncomfortable, but maintain good, positive eye contact.
- R – R stands for relaxed body language. This shows the person that you are not in a rush to get away, but are letting them talk at their own pace.
- https://www.acsedu.co.uk/Info/Psychology-and-Counselling/Counselling/SOLER-A-Counselling-Skill.aspx
James and ellie 
Another great episode, thanks so much! The SOLER acronym is really helpful. One additional thought is that some of the best conversations with my young adult daughter have been while we’ve been walking together or sitting beside each other on a car journey. In those cases the lack of eye contact seems to have been helpful for freedom of expression & a neutral environment has helped remove the distractions. So context or environment might be a significant factor in effective listening too, wouldn’t you say? Thanks again!
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