Holding Space: What I Learned About Listening During Interviews

I’m a teacher. I’m used to guiding, explaining, facilitating. So when I started interviewing volunteers, I brought that with me.

But reflexive interviewing, I learned, is not about guiding. It’s about holding space.

I added a final question to every interview:

“Is there anything else you’d like to share?”

That one question changed things.

So many rich, unplanned insights came in response to that. Stories that reshaped themes, exposed contradictions, or brought forward emotion that earlier answers hadn’t touched.

And often, those insights came after a long pause.

Silence used to make me uncomfortable. Now I understand it as part of the data. Holding space isn’t passive – it’s deeply active. And sometimes, it’s where the best stuff lives.