141: The One Thing: Active Listening with Lauren Schwabish M.S., CCC-SLP
Successful clinicians working in healthcare settings possess more than just clinical knowledge and expertise; they also excel at Active Listening. Composed of a series of verbal and non-verbal actions, Active Listening is a key communication behavior that reflects engagement, establishes trust, and conveys respect and understanding. Active listening skills are essential tools for therapist-patient interactions but are also invaluable for a wide variety of professional and personal communication interactions.
Key Takeaway:
Active listening refers to the artful use of non-verbal behaviors, paired with paraphrasing, summarizing, reflecting, confirming, demonstrating concern, and listening with an intent to understand, without interruption or judgment. If clinical skills are the door, active listening skills are the keys, and a necessary ingredient for successful clinical communication.
Resources
Active Listening Resources are readily available online. Some that I’ve used for staff education have been found from nursing literature. I also like this resource from Boston University, which gives excellent definitions for the various components of Active Listening.
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/full/10.1044/2014_LSHSS-14-0001#bib5 (This is directed towards new clinicians working with parents with kids who need AAC)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10904010903466311 (Did you know there is an International Journal of Listening?!)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399107002637 (This talks about a scale that measures Active Listening skills)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638288.2021.1982026 (This review article mentions how listening is misconceived as a simple skill, something I’d like to talk about)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352900816300231 (This places active listening as core to person-centered care and builds empathy in healthcare providers)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6101690/ (This paper links active listening to marketing in healthcare, as a means to elevate the prestige of a unit vs. only clinical offerings)
Contact information:
@neurospeechservices on Instagram and Facebook
Thanks for these amazing resources, Lauren!
Lauren Schwabish, MS, CCC-SLP
I’ve been a medical SLP for 22 years. For the last 16 years, I worked in an acute inpatient neurorehabilitation service where my career evolved into a clinical mentor. One of my favorite topics to discuss and facilitate was active listening! In 2021, I shook things up and started a mobile-virtual private practice, and you can learn more about me at www.neurospeechservices.com.
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