With active listening, we are able to be in our client’s world.
But, our aim as a guide is not just to provide empathy, but to also help them understand something.
It may be that the client is ready and receptive, in which case we can introduce the next exercise in a sequence. But it may also be that they are sharing something. In which case, we might choose to select an exercise that demonstrates an alternative perspective on what they are talking about.
But this has to be done carefully. Perhaps we might say, “We could do an exercise that explores this”, without saying that it necessarily challenges their view. Telling someone that they are wrong, will likely be met with resistance. However, if we take someone to a place where they can directly see an alternative perspective, in their own experience, is much more compelling - it is much more likely to work.
If we tell them something, they just acquire a fact. If we demonstrate it, we are directly playing with their predictive model. When their model changes, their experience changes.