This paper proposes a special kind of paraphrase as operational evidence of empathy in both therapeutic and educational communication. Firstly, Carl Rogers' theoretical argumentation in favour of the use of the reflection response in order to encourage the addressee's initiative is presented; secondly, the relevance of the reflection response to a crucial problem of educational communication is pointed out; thirdly, the reflection response is presented as a heuristically promising theme of linguistic research and is defined as a speech act in which the aspects of both pragmatic (illocutive aspect) and linguistic (locutive aspect) paraphrase can be identified. Finally, some results achieved in previous research about the role of the inferences requested by reflection responses are referred to.