Grasping the essence of a message at both the feeling and the thinking levels; simplifying client…

➤ When should a counselor use clarifying versus summarizing?
Use clarifying during moments of confusion, contradictory statements, or when feelings and thoughts seem tangled. Clarifying addresses single points to ensure accuracy. Use summarizing after longer exchanges to integrate themes, track progress, and check overall meaning. Both support clarity, but they serve different conversational scales.