Training Module on the Right to Mental Health for the Security Sector Utilize emotion-labeling phrases, such as: “You sound . . . ,” “You seem . . .,” “I hear . . . ,” and so on. VICTIM: ““What if the guy’s still here? Did they catch him yet? He’s gonna find me. We have to get out of here or I’m gonna die.” RESPONDER: “You sound like you’re feeling really frightened.” Paraphrasing • It is basically recasting the victim’s statement in your own words. • This accomplishes several things: o It reinforces empathy and rapport by saying to the victim, in effect, that if I can restate your meaning in my own words, then I must have a pretty good understanding of what you are experiencing. o Effective paraphrasing actually clarifies what the victim is saying. o It encourages the victim to slow down and listen, which may have a calming effect of its own. o It also promotes a verbal give-and-take that does not automatically put the victim on the defensive. o Finally, just hearing one’s own thoughts spoken aloud by someone else can provide clarification and a feeling of being heard and understood. When paraphrasing, summarize in your own words what the subject has just told you. VICTIM: “What if the guy’s still here? Did they catch him yet? He’s gonna find me. We have to get out of here or I’m gonna die.” RESPONDER: “Sounds like you think you’re still in danger.” ** The responder should be careful not to add or embellish, as in: “I understand it’s never easy to know when you’re completely safe. We live in a dangerous world, so a lot of people are scared.” This is not an effective response because it may serve to further frighten the victim. 51 • Structure paraphrases in a way that solicits confirmation of the victim’s thoughts and feelings. This can be explicit, like interjecting “right?” at the end of your paraphrase. • It can be more subtle, such as leaving your paraphrase dangling by the intonation of your voice, or following your restatement with silence, creating a verbal vacuum for the victim to fill. • Paraphrasing wordings can include: “Are you telling me…?” “What I hear you saying is…,” “Let me see if I have this right…,” “So…,” and similar phrases.