Sometimes it helps not to force them to make actual eye contact. One of mine is uncomfortable with too much of that, so I've suggested looking at some other part of the face (eyebrow, nose, glasses frame), because the majority of people will not be able to tell that you are not actually looking them in the eye, but you won't feel quite as exposed (or whatever it is that bothers them about eye contact).
We talk explicitly about how body language communicates specific messages to your conversational partner; we don't want our body language (including eye contact, fidgeting, open/closed stance) to contradict our words, as that may communicate dishonesty or insincerity. We also discuss the value of conversational fillers as a means to buy time for formulating your response, so that your conversational partner knows that you heard what they said and will respond when you have something to say.
