Which coaching skill involves acknowledging the client's feelings of being overwhelmed without advocating for a specific solution?

The skill that involves acknowledging the client's feelings of being overwhelmed without advocating for a specific solution is empathy. Empathy allows the coach to connect with the client's emotional experience and demonstrate understanding and validation of their feelings. This connection helps create a safe and supportive environment, where the client feels heard and understood.

By practicing empathy, the coach can recognize and affirm the client's struggles without immediately proposing solutions, which is crucial in coaching. This approach encourages the client to explore their emotions and thoughts more deeply, fostering self-discovery and empowering them to find their own solutions when they are ready.

While active listening involves fully concentrating on what the client is saying and may include affirming their feelings, it does not encapsulate the deeper emotional connection that empathy provides. Reflection is about paraphrasing or mirroring what the client has said, and questioning involves prompting the client to think more critically about their situation rather than addressing their emotional state. Hence, empathy is the skill that best fits the description in the question.