Active listening is a type of structured way of conversing, especially between two people, where focus is on truly hearing the communications of the other person. In active listening, people do not get distracted from other people's voices, by their own thoughts, by creating a plan of what to say next, or by many other variables.

The easiest way to understand active listening is to think of it in a one-on-one conversation model. While one person speaks, the other listens, and they do so with great attention to the speaker. The listener gives cues of continued focus, like nodding in agreement, saying the occasionally "uh-huh" or "yeah," and tries to withhold any personal reaction that might occur if the experience sparks off negative or difficult emotions. The goal remains to keep centered on what the speaker is trying to communicate while withholding judgment.

Listeners can encourage the flow of conversation by asking questions to the speaker or by paraphrasing some of what the speaker has said. This helps the speaker reflect on his or her own words and clarify them, retract them or continue with more detail to explain the issue at hand.