Reflections are a valuable way of providing the other individual an opportunity to hear and process what they said while moving the conversation forward.

Parroting is intentionally repeating back the words uttered to demonstrate you heard what they said and are listening. This often occurs in a classroom setting and/or when delivering instructions.

While there are times when a simple reflection can sound similar to parroting, the intention is to create a connection and develop a common understanding, rather than to repeat.

***In MI, we want to use reflections because they lead to a more conversational interaction and allow you to decide what to focus on.