Quotes from student comments after the completion of an active listening exercise:
"It's important that clients feel that they have a say and are being heard in occupational therapy."
"Facing the speaker, providing eye contact, nodding, [and providing] encouragement and assurance that you are listening ... as an OT, you want to make others feel that their needs are important and that their concerns are heard."
"An OT must keep an open mind in order to be a successful OT practitioner."
"By using these [active listening] skills we can be effective listeners and learn more about the client's mindset."
"[It's] important as an OT to give the client plenty of time to respond and not rush them and to let them know you are caring and warm towards their current situation (especially in first meeting them)."
"It's very important to be in touch with your client's goals and desires and to be aware of what's not actively being said because these feelings will often play into the situation as well."
"It's important to understand what occupations are important for the client and what they want to get out of treatment. They need to be heard, understood, and [know] that their goals are driving the process."
