It sounds to me like you want some way to engage with what the other person is sharing. I find that I get a lot of mileage out of asking <i>really dumb question

It sounds to me like you want some way to engage with what the other person is sharing. I find that I get a lot of mileage out of asking <i>really dumb questions.</i> So with your example, I would first accept their feelings - we've all been insecure about jobs from time to time - and then try to probe into them. "Has your boss been talking about money being tight? Did one of your big customers just drop?" "Has your boss been talking about your performance? Do you see others on your team being dismissive of your role?" Questions like this let the counterparty know that a) they matter to you and b) you're hearing what they're saying. I think that's what you're saying you want to convey. I could be way off base here.