Learning to Listen

Learning to Listen offers counselors the biblical principles and core skills necessary to become the active, compassionate listeners counselees need.

Counselors have a high calling to love and care for people who are struggling in a fallen world. A wise biblical counselor draws out the deep attitudes of the heart and encourages their counselees toward growth into the image of Christ. Learning about specific problems, sharing Scripture, and sitting with suffering people are all important parts of counseling. While all of these elements are essential to the counseling task, counseling will ultimately fail without the simple yet vital skill of listening well.

In Learning to Listen, biblical counselor Joseph Hussung gives readers a theology of listening and explains the purpose, posture, and practice of this essential counseling skill. If counselors do not truly hear the hearts of their counselees, they won’t understand the nuanced struggles at play nor how to apply biblical principles. Listening well enables counselors to love well and understand with empathy.

This book is more than a guide—it’s a transformative resource that equips counselors to reflect Christ in their approach to listening. Hussung explores how God Himself listens to His people, modeling the kind of attentive, compassionate engagement counselors should strive for. Through practical techniques and real-world applications, Learning to Listen helps counselors move beyond surface-level interactions to deep, heart-level conversations.

Whether you’re a seasoned biblical counselor or just beginning, this book will sharpen your ability to engage, empathize, and counsel effectively. By mastering the art of listening, you can create an environment where counselees feel truly heard, understood, and guided toward lasting spiritual growth. If you want to be a counselor who makes a lasting impact, Learning to Listen is an essential addition to your library.