The art of listening to someone is so important, yet many people do not how to do it.  Most people don’t want advice, they only want someone to listen and validate their feelings.  Active listening involves more than just hearing someone speak. When you practice active listening, you are fully concentrating on what is being said. You listen with all of your senses and give your full attention to the person speaking. Below are some features of active listening:¹

• Neutral and nonjudgmental
• Patient (periods of silence are not "filled")
• Verbal and nonverbal feedback to show signs of listening (e.g., smiling, eye contact, leaning in, mirroring)
• Asking questions
• Reflecting back what is said
• Asking for clarification
• Summarizing

The goal of active listening is simply for the other person to be heard, and perhaps to solve their own problems.  Active listening serves the purpose of earning the trust of others and helping you to understand their situations.