Hearing is receiving the actual information given to you, while listening involves paying

attention to what is being said.

Listening involves giving the person your full attention, while attempting to understand the
person in their social context, and letting them know you are genuinely interested in what they
have to say.

Active listening means you are paying all of your attention to the other person and are
concentrating on what that person is saying.

The skills of active listening include:

 Looking at the person while they are talking and taking into consideration all facial
expressions.
 Leaning towards the individual to show that you are paying attention and being attentive.
 Concentrating on what is being said.
 Paying attention to your body language and presenting yourself as having a keen interest
in what is being said, e.g. turning towards the client, ensuring you are sitting or standing
in a relaxed position, and using appropriate facial expressions.
 Observing the body language of the client, e.g. if the client appears uptight or nervous,
you may need to respond using calming techniques.
 Listening to the tone of voice of the individual - this can be indicative of how the other
person feels or is responding.
 Staying calm and patient and avoiding interrupting the other person.
 Where necessary, clarifying the information that has been presented to ensure you
understand it.

Keep in mind that each individual has their own complex history and background. Therefore, it
is possible that they will express themselves in different ways and not all people will have the
ability to express themselves well.

Active listening

Active listening enables us to suspend our own judgments and, in the short term, needs to really
attend to what the other person is saying. 

In terms of difficult or challenging behavior, active listening may enable you to defuse a
situation by providing an opportunity for the person to voice their needs and to feel that they are
being heard.
Active listening involves:

 Attending
 Following
 Reflecting
 Paraphrasing