When a young person becomes distracted the counsellor has an opportunity to introduce a digression and by doing so to join more closely with the young person. For example, if the young person starts to play with their shoes, the counsellor might comment on their shoes and ask about them, saying something such as, ‘They’re colourful; where did you get them?’ Notice that, if the counsellor digresses in this way, the conversation will no longer involve addressing issues, but instead a low-key conversation will develop which will be likely to help the young person relax.