Core Counseling Attri

What are core counseling attributes?

Personal and professional qualities that help counselors build effective therapeutic relationships and support client growth

What is empathy in counseling?

The ability to understand and communicate the client’s feelings and experiences from the client’s perspective

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy?

Empathy is understanding another’s feelings; sympathy is feeling pity or sorrow for them

Who is most associated with empathy and core conditions?

^{Carl Rogers}

What is genuineness or congruence?

The counselor being real, authentic, and honest in the therapeutic relationship

What is unconditional positive regard?

Accepting and valuing the client without judgment

What are Rogers’ three core conditions?

Empathy, genuineness/congruence, and unconditional positive regard

What is active listening?

Fully concentrating on, understanding, and responding to the client

What are minimal encouragers?

Brief responses that encourage the client to continue talking, such as “mm hmm,” “go on,” or nodding

What is paraphrasing?

Restating the client’s content in the counselor’s own words

What is reflection of feeling?

Identifying and restating the emotional component of the client’s message

What is summarization?

Reviewing and condensing major themes discussed during counseling

What is immediacy?

Focusing on what is happening in the counseling relationship in the present moment

What is confrontation in counseling?

Gently pointing out discrepancies between a client’s words, feelings, and behaviors

What is attending behavior?

Nonverbal behaviors that show interest and attention, such as eye contact, posture, and body language

What does SOLER stand for?

Squarely face the client, Open posture, Lean forward, Eye contact, Relax

What is rapport?

A trusting and comfortable counseling relationship

What is therapeutic alliance?

The collaborative relationship and working bond between counselor and client

What is cultural competence?

The ability to work effectively with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds

What is multicultural counseling?

Counseling that recognizes and respects cultural influences on a client’s experiences and worldview

What is counselor self awareness?

Understanding one’s own values, biases, emotions, and cultural influences

Why is self awareness important for counselors?

It helps prevent counselors from imposing personal values on clients

What is concreteness?

Using specific and clear language rather than vague statements

What is clarification?

Asking questions to better understand the client’s message

What is silence in counseling?

A purposeful pause that allows reflection and deeper processing

What is immediacy used for?

Addressing what is happening between counselor and client in the moment

What is self disclosure?

The counselor sharing limited personal information to benefit the client

What is the main rule for counselor self disclosure?

It should be used only if it benefits the client

What is transference?

Client unconsciously projects feelings from past relationships onto the counselor

What is countertransference?

Counselor projects personal feelings onto the client

Why is countertransference a concern?

It can interfere with objective and effective counseling

What is resistance in counseling?

Client behavior that avoids change or difficult material

What is reframing?

Helping the client see a situation from a different perspective

What is open ended questioning?

Questions that encourage elaboration and discussion

What is a closed ended question?

A question that can usually be answered with yes, no, or brief information

Why are open ended questions important?

They encourage exploration and deeper discussion

What is immediacy considered?

A here and now counseling skill

What is reflection of content?

Restating the factual portion of the client’s message

What is advanced empathy?

Understanding deeper meanings and emotions beyond the client’s explicit words

What is counselor burnout?

Emotional exhaustion and reduced effectiveness caused by prolonged stress

What is counselor wellness?

Intentional self care practices that support counselor functioning

Why is counselor wellness ethically important?

Impaired counselors may negatively affect client care

What is informed consent?

Explaining counseling procedures, risks, benefits, and client rights before treatment begins

What is confidentiality?

The counselor’s ethical responsibility to protect client information

What are the limits of confidentiality?

Danger to self, danger to others, abuse reporting, court orders, and some supervision situations

What is professional boundaries?

Appropriate limits that protect the therapeutic relationship

What is a dual relationship?

Having another relationship with a client outside counseling

Why are dual relationships risky?

They may impair objectivity or exploit the client

What is competence in counseling?

Practicing only within areas of training and skill

What should a counselor do if lacking competence?

Seek supervision, training, or refer the client

What is advocacy in counseling?

Supporting client rights, access, and wellbeing

What is psychoeducation?

Teaching clients information about mental health, coping, or behavior

What is immediacy especially useful for?

Addressing tension or dynamics occurring in session

What is unconditional positive regard NOT?

Agreeing with all client behaviors or decisions

What is empathy NOT?

Taking on the client’s emotions as your own

What is reflective listening?

Listening carefully and responding with reflections that capture meaning and feeling

What is the goal of reflective listening?

Helping clients feel understood and encouraging deeper exploration

What is genuineness associated with?

Authenticity and transparency in counseling

What counseling approach most emphasizes the therapeutic relationship itself?

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What is the primary goal of counseling skills?

Facilitating client growth, insight, and change

What are microskills in counseling?

Basic helping skills such as attending, reflecting, paraphrasing, and summarizing

What is emotional intelligence in counseling?

The ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions in oneself and others

What is immediacy an example of?

Process oriented intervention

What is nonverbal communication?

Communication through facial expression, posture, tone, gestures, and body language

Why is nonverbal communication important?

It often communicates emotions more strongly than words

What is accurate empathy?

Correctly understanding and communicating the client’s feelings and experiences

What is trust in counseling?

The client’s belief that the counselor is safe, reliable, and supportive

What is the counselor’s role in building trust?

Being consistent, empathetic, respectful, and ethical

What is motivational interviewing known for?

Using empathy and collaboration to strengthen motivation for change

What are OARS in motivational interviewing?

Open questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries

What is the importance of acceptance in counseling?

Clients are more likely to explore change when they feel accepted rather than judged

What is intentionality in counseling?

Purposefully choosing interventions based on client needs and goals

What is immediacy versus confrontation?

Immediacy focuses on the present relationship; confrontation highlights discrepancies

What is the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing?

Paraphrasing focuses on a specific statement; summarizing reviews larger themes

What is the core condition most associated with feeling understood?

Empathy

What is the core condition most associated with acceptance?

Unconditional positive regard

What is the core condition most associated with authenticity?

Genuineness or congruence