Special Topics: Empathetic Listening, Mental Imagery Techniques

What is empathic listening?

A communication skill where the listener fully understands and validates the speaker’s thoughts and feelings by giving focused attention, reflecting back their message, and responding without judgment.

What is objective data represented in empathetic listening?

The observations alone

What is subjective data represented in empathetic listening?

inferences of the actions

What are the qualities of a good listener?

Present, Patient, Non judjmental, without self intrest, humility

What does it mean for a good listener to be present and attentive?

They keep their mind and body fully in the moment—no drifting thoughts—allowing true empathy and understanding.

Why is patience an essential quality of a good listener?

Clients need time to feel safe and trust the therapist; openness can happen quickly, but true vulnerability takes longer.

Why must a good listener be non-judgmental?

It blocks vulnerability, preventing the client from being truthful and authentic.

What does it mean to listen without self-interest?

The therapist avoids focusing on what they want (e.g., improvement), so they don’t miss or override the client’s genuine emotions.

What does humility mean in good listening?

ccepting that you won’t understand the client perfectly and staying open, curious, and willing to keep exploring their feelings

What are the barriers of a good listener?

Impatience, Lack of trust in myself

Why is impatience a barrier to good listening?

It pulls the therapist out of the present moment, sends negative signals to the client, and prevents the client from feeling safe, vulnerable, or trusting.

How does lack of trust in oneself become a barrier to good listening?

Second-guessing instincts and interpretations creates insecurity and distracting negative thoughts, reducing presence and connection with the client.

Why does empathetic listening involve subjective interpretation?

Because each therapist notices different cues (words, tone, body language), meaning perception varies and multiple interpretations of a client’s feelings are possible.

How does personal inference play a role in empathetic listening?

The listener uses the emotional cues they notice (e.g., tears) to infer deeper underlying feelings such as worthlessness, helplessness, or disempowerment.

How does the imposter syndrome metaphor relate to empathetic listening?

It highlights the self-doubt therapists may feel when trying to understand clients, reminding them to trust the process rather than expecting to “know everything.”

Why does empathetic listening require starting broad before focusing on details?

You must understand the client as a whole person first; going into depth too early prevents genuine empathy and accurate understanding.

How does “looking at the whole picture” strengthen empathetic listening?

It encourages noticing all aspects of the client’s experience equally instead of fixating on one detail, allowing deeper empathy.

What does “negative space” represent in empathetic listening?

The unsaid or surrounding context of a client’s life, which can reveal important emotional information and deepen understanding.

How do “relationships between objects” mirror empathetic listening?

They reflect how a therapist considers the relationships between a client’s experiences, emotions, and behaviors to empathize accurately.

Why is noticing where things are positioned (light/dark, close/far) relevant to empathetic listening?

It parallels how therapists observe emotional emphasis, patterns, and what feels important or overshadowed in the client’s story.

Why must therapists let go of pre-existing beliefs to engage in true empathetic listening?

Bias and assumptions block empathy; therapists must trust what the client expresses rather than what they expect to see.

What does the idea “the only way you won’t get where you want is if you give up” teach about empathetic listening?

Empathic understanding is a gradual process; persistence and openness are essential to truly connect with the client.

What is the definition of mental imagery techniques?

An internal experience that occurs without exposure to the stimulus that normally produces that experience

What is an example of mental imagery?

Visualizing a red rose in your mind even though no red rose is physically present.

What differences in sensory engagement make some internal experiences feel more vivid than others?

Humans tend to experience mental images more vividly than sounds or smells because the brain devotes more resources to visual processing, making visualizations stronger and more detailed.

How does the state of consciousness affect the nature of internal experiences?

Experiences that occur while fully awake are controlled and consciously processed within the mind, while those in altered or unconscious states may happen without deliberate awareness.

How can visual mental experiences be similar yet fundamentally different from experiences during sleep?

Both involve imagining images, but those while awake occur under conscious control, whereas similar experiences in sleep happen during a different state of awareness without intentional direction.

What are the properties of visual imagery

Spontanious, emotion, physiological response, communication, words

How can visual images affect emotional experience?

They can evoke strong emotional reactions, such as fear or relaxation, showing a direct connection between what is visualized and affective responses.

In what way can mental images trigger physiological responses

Certain images can cause physical responses, such as arousal or tension, demonstrating the mind-body connection in imagining scenarios.

Why might visual images communicate information differently than words?

Images can convey complex ideas or emotions more efficiently than words, capturing subtle aspects that might be difficult to express verbally.

What makes mental images a uniquely private form of experience?

Unlike spoken or written words, people do not need to censor their internal images, allowing exploration without concern for judgment or social consequences.

How did Freud view spontaneous visual imagery in relation to understanding the mind?

He saw them as a “royal road” to the unconscious, with daydreams and spontaneous images revealing deep-seated thoughts and emotions from the ego.

How do mental images differ from words in terms of expressing thoughts and feelings?

Words are often edited or held back, but mental images can show feelings and ideas freely, including things that are hard to put into words.

What are some fields or contexts where visualization can be used?

Visualization is used in therapy for behavioralism and phobias, as well as in learning and sports psychology.

How is visualization used in behavioralism and phobias?

Clients imagine themselves encountering their fear or phobia, connecting the image to emotions and physiological responses.

How is visualization used in learning and sports psychology?

People mentally rehearse skills or routines, such as a figure skater visualizing jumps, to improve performance and mastery.

What are the two main categories of visualization in therapy?

spontaneous and guided visualization.

What is spontaneous visualization in therapy?

Images arise naturally without control, and the client shares them to reveal underlying feelings or experiences.

What is guided visualization in therapy?

The therapist directs the images to help the client explore emotions or access deeper thoughts.

What is a directive approach to guided visualization?

The therapist sets specific parts of the scene, such as “there’s a wall, climb over it,” to guide the client’s imagery.

What is a non-directive approach to guided visualization?

The client takes control of the scene, describing what they see or feel, allowing personal exploration of the imagery.

How do “LEFT turns” factor into guided visualization exercises?

believed to activate the right side of the brain, which is associated with image processing and emotional exploration, helping the therapist observe reactions and access deeper feelings.

What is the basic idea behind the 2-chair technique?

The client visualizes a person in a chair and speaks to them about a problem or issue they are experiencing.

What should a therapist check before using visualization-based techniques like the 2-chair exercise?

They should confirm that the client is able to create mental images, since some people think primarily in words and cannot visualize effectively.

How can a therapist test whether a client is capable of visualization?

By simply asking the client to imagine a mental image and seeing if they can create it.

In the class guided meditation, what was the first step clients were asked to do?

Clients closed their eyes while the therapist set the scene, imagining themselves in an open field and noticing details like size, surroundings, temperature, and posture.

During the class guided meditation, how were clients encouraged to explore their images more deeply?

The therapist asked clients to move within the imagined scene, notice emotions, and approach boundaries or go farther into the image to uncover additional insights.

What can the themes of images created during the class guided meditation tell the therapist?

The imagery clients choose, like a cornfield or meadow, communicates aspects of their thoughts, feelings, or experiences, with subsequent images continuing to convey meaning.

How can therapists’ own mental images be used during a class guided meditation?

Therapists may notice spontaneous images themselves and sharing these can provide new perspectives, deepen understanding, and help interpret the client’s imagery.

What was the purpose of the class drawing activity in relation to therapy?

Students were asked to draw while focusing on perception rather than prior knowledge, using techniques like drawing upside down and holding the pencil loosely to practice seeing details, relationships, and patterns as they truly are—paralleling how therapists observe and understand clients.

What parallel can be drawn between therapy and the class drawing exercise?

Both require trusting what you see rather than relying on prior knowledge, moving slowly, and avoiding self-defeating assumptions about ability or understanding.

How does the left brain affect perception in therapy or drawing?

tends to impose learned patterns and judgments, which can block authentic observation and prevent noticing how all aspects relate to each other.

Why might drawing upside down help in a therapy-related exercise?

It reduces left-brain interference, allowing the observer to see things as they truly are and focus on relationships and patterns without preconceptions.

How does holding the pencil differently relate to therapy practice?

looser handling encourages attentiveness, flexibility, and less judgment, paralleling the need to allow clients to experience and express emotions without interference.

What is the importance of looking at the “big picture” in both drawing and therapy?

Understanding a person requires seeing all aspects of their life and how they relate, rather than isolating details or rushing to conclusions.