Paraphrasing is an amazing, valuable tool when used right (Thoughts On Communication, Part VII)

Paraphrasing ideas and concepts into your own words is useful when you are using it as a tool to actually bridge the communications gap. Paraphrasing is also manipulative, self-centered, and often wrong.

In my recent "Communication For Couples" workshop, I taught how I like to use paraphrasing in response to stated opinions and needs from my partner:

Partner: I am feeling yadda yadda when you bazinga because Rumplestilskin.

Me (paraphrasing): You feel blah blah when I whoopdeedoo because supercalifragilisticexpialadocious. Am I understanding?

Partner (digesting and thinking for a minute): Not exactly. More like I'm feeling and so on and so forth when you yippee because McDomlypants.

Me (paraphrasing again): Ok. So you feel rah rah when I she bop bop bop bop because ramalamadingdong.

Partner: Yes.

Me: Is there more you can tell me?

And so on. Repeat until my partner feels like I understand and have nothing more to tell me.

Find the full transcript for this episode here. https://datingkinky.com/blog/paraphrasing-is-an-amazing-valuable-tool-when-used-right-thoughts-on-communication-part-vii/