What best describes a simple reflection?

• A. Summarize and interpret the client's message
• B. Ask a clarifying question
• C. Paraphrase and restate what client said without exaggeration or distortion
• D. Offer advice

Answer: (C)

Simple reflection is mirroring the client’s words back to them in your own wording to show you understand. It involves paraphrasing and restating what the client said without adding new meaning, exaggeration, or distortion. This validates what they’ve expressed and invites them to elaborate, keeping the focus on their own message. It differs from summarizing, which condenses the whole message and can introduce interpretation, and from asking a clarifying question or offering advice, which steer the conversation in a different direction rather than reflecting the client’s exact words and feelings. For example, if the client says, “I’m overwhelmed with deadlines this week,” a simple reflection would be, “You’re feeling overwhelmed by looming deadlines.”