The slow question

The interviewer was tactful, asking whether the visitor wanted to discuss a difficult year before turning on the recorder. She was attentive, returning to a detail he had mentioned quietly rather than reading straight through her question list. I had expected the recording equipment to be the most important part of the session. By the end, I was more interested in the pauses during which somebody decided whether they wished to say anything at all.

From the passage, select two words or phrases that describe the interviewer's sensitivity to the visitor.