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carol sullivan's avatar

I’m a talker—probably always will be. I can keep going long after the eyes around me have glazed over. But learning MI has been a game changer—it’s teaching me when to temper that part of myself.

Now, I love the pause.

A well-timed pause after a reflection gives clients space to breathe, absorb, and think before speaking. I’ve had clients say, “I’ve never thought about it like that.”

Their insights come from their own inner wisdom—surfacing when I stop filling the silence. Making time for a pause might be the greatest gift I offer.

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Shanen Sadowski's avatar

As a Brainspotting practitioner, we were taught to frequently consider the acronym WAIT: Why am I talking? It's so easy to fill space within sessions and conversations, but how often do we assess whether each word is enriching the conversation (and the client's process) versus just filling space and time. I'm often pleasantly surprised by what follows when I just sit quietly for a bit and let the client's thoughts and emotions bubble to the surface. Thanks for the reminder!

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