Microskills: Reflection of Meaning

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Reflection of meaning refers to the process of summarizing or restating the underlying significance or message of what someone has expressed. It involves capturing the core essence of the speaker's words or actions and conveying it back to them. By reflecting the meaning, a listener demonstrates their understanding and shows that they have grasped the deeper implications or intentions behind the communication. This technique is commonly used in counseling, therapy, or active listening settings to validate and acknowledge the speaker's thoughts and feelings.

Reflection of Meaning:

Here's an example of reflection of meaning in a therapeutic context:

Client: "I've been feeling overwhelmed lately. There's so much going on in my life, and I can't seem to keep up with everything."

Therapist (Reflection of Meaning): "It sounds like the weight of your responsibilities and the demands of your life have become too much to handle. You're feeling like you're constantly playing catch-up and struggling to find a sense of balance."

In this example, the therapist reflects the meaning behind the client's words. They summarize the underlying significance of the client's statement, capturing the client's feelings of overwhelm, the multitude of responsibilities, and the struggle to find balance. By reflecting the meaning, the therapist demonstrates an understanding of the client's experiences and acknowledges the deeper implications of their words. This reflection validates the client's emotions and provides a space for further exploration and processing.

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Episode Transcript

Stacy (00:00):
Reflection of meaning is a psychological term referring
to a therapeutic communicationtechnique used by therapists and
other mental healthprofessionals to facilitate
clients' deeper understanding oftheir thoughts, feelings, and
experiences.
This technique involves theprofessional actively listening
to the client, identifyingunderlying themes and

(00:20):
significant meanings, and thenparaphrasing or restating those
meanings to help the client gaininsight and explore personal
values, beliefs, and motivations.
Reflection of meaning aims topromote self-awareness, foster
personal growth and encourageclients to make more informed
decisions and choices in theirlives.
Example 1.

(00:42):
Dealing with a loss.
A client comes to a therapistto discuss the recent death of a
close friend.
As the client talks about theirfeelings of grief and sadness,
the therapist listensattentively and identifies a
recurring theme of helplessness.
The therapist then reflects onthe meaning by saying.

(01:02):
It seems that you're not onlygrieving the loss of your friend
but also feeling a sense ofhelplessness in this situation.
Can you tell me more about that?
This prompts the client toexplore their feelings more
deeply and examine the role ofhelplessness in their grieving
process.
Example 2.

(01:22):
Career dissatisfaction.
A client expressesdissatisfaction with their
current job and desires a careerchange.
The therapist listens and picksup on the client's mention of
feeling unfulfilled and lackinga sense of purpose.
The therapist reflects themeaning by stating You've
mentioned feeling unfulfilledand lacking a sense of purpose

(01:44):
in your current job.
Can we explore what gives you asense of purpose and how you
might find that in a differentcareer?
This encourages the client toreflect on their values and
passions, which can guide themtowards a more fulfilling career
path.
Example 3.
Struggling with identity.
A client comes to therapy todiscuss feelings of confusion

(02:07):
about their identity andpersonal beliefs.
As the client talks about theirstruggles, the therapist
notices.
The client frequently mentionsthe influence of their family
and community on their beliefs.
The therapist reflects themeaning by saying It sounds like
your family and community haveplayed a significant role in
shaping your beliefs and nowyou're questioning if those

(02:27):
beliefs are genuinely yours.
What might it look like toexplore your own beliefs and
values independent of externalinfluences?
This reflection helps theclient consider the process of
self-discovery and examine theirbeliefs in a more authentic and
meaningful way.