She started saying some things about her thoughts last night and I didn't respond at all.
As BL points out, validation can help you make progress. Talking about her feelings to you is a much better place to be than her giving up on saying anything towards you. I'll applaud biting your tongue when you weren't sure what to say. That at least doesn't move you backwards!
Yes in this case she was getting very provocative and I thought that not responding would be best as it could potentially trap me. I did make it clear to her that I was listening. But point noted that in most cases of verbal face-to-face discussions, it is best to validate.
