[Co-counseling] taught me that having a session is different than having a conversation. Sometimes I want the focused listening of a session; other times, I want a conversation where we explore together and see where it takes us. It taught me that neither of these two things, a session and a conversation, can replace the other, though most people, if they don’t have the opportunity to have a session, will try to meet that need through conversation with minimal success. Either the conversation goes along and you’re never able to pour your heart out, or you pour it all over the place without the consent of the listener. I’ve been on both sides of that, and I don’t recommend either one. If you don’t know how to take a turn and make good use of it, you won’t be able to give a turn either.

Betty Martin with Robyn Dalzen, The Art of Receiving and Giving: The Wheel of Consent