Set of over 300 questions and detailed answers
covering the core content of PSY 104 –
Counseling Techniques. The material is
organized by major units to mirror a standard
semester long course.
Unit 1: Foundations of Counseling & The Therapeutic Relationship
1. Q: What are the three core conditions of person-centered therapy, according to Carl Rogers?
A: The three core conditions are: 1) Unconditional Positive Regard (accepting and valuing the client
without judgment), 2) Empathy (accurately understanding the client's internal frame of reference), and
3) Congruence (genuineness; the therapist is authentic and their internal experience matches their
external expression).
2. Q: Define "active listening" and list its four key components.
A: Active listening is a technique used to fully concentrate, understand, respond, and remember what a
client is saying. Its four key components are: 1) Attention (non-verbal and verbal focus), 2) Hearing and
understanding (comprehending the content and emotion), 3) Remembering (retaining key information),
and 4) Responding (providing feedback that shows understanding, such as through paraphrasing).
3. Q: What is the difference between "empathy" and "sympathy" in a counseling context?
A: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another from their perspective—
"walking in their shoes." Sympathy involves feelings of pity, sorrow, or concern for the other person
from an external, often superior, vantage point. Empathy fosters connection and empowerment;
sympathy can create distance and a sense of pity.
4. Q: Define "congruence" (genuineness) and explain why it is critical for building trust.
,A: Congruence is the state where a counselor's internal experience (feelings, thoughts) aligns with their
external expression (words, body language). It is critical because it establishes authenticity. Clients are
perceptive; if a counselor is incongruent, they appear phony, untrustworthy, or disingenuous, which
undermines the therapeutic alliance.
5. Q: What is the purpose of "paraphrasing"?
A: Paraphrasing is a technique where the counselor rephrases the essence of what the client has just
said in the counselor's own words. Its purpose is to: 1) demonstrate active listening and understanding,
2) allow the client to hear their own thoughts reflected back, 3) clarify meaning, and 4) encourage the
client to elaborate further.
6. Q: What is "unconditional positive regard" (UPR) and how is it demonstrated?
A: UPR is the fundamental acceptance and respect a counselor holds for a client, regardless of what they
say or do. It is demonstrated through non-judgmental language, accepting all feelings without
evaluation, not imposing personal values, and maintaining warmth and care even when disagreeing with
the client's actions.
7. Q: Describe the four stages of the counseling process.
A: 1) Establishing Relationship: Building rapport, trust, and setting the therapeutic alliance. 2)
Assessment and Diagnosis: Gathering information, exploring the client's concerns, and formulating a
clinical picture. 3) Goal Setting: Collaboratively defining desired outcomes and creating a treatment plan.
4) Intervention and Termination: Implementing techniques to achieve goals and ending the therapeutic
relationship appropriately.
8. Q: What is "therapeutic alliance" and why is it considered the best predictor of positive outcomes?
A: The therapeutic alliance is the collaborative, trusting, and mutually agreed-upon bond between
counselor and client. It includes agreement on goals, agreement on tasks, and the quality of the
emotional bond. Research consistently shows it is a stronger predictor of successful therapy outcomes
than any specific technique.
9. Q: What are "closed-ended" vs. "open-ended" questions? Provide an example of each.
A: Closed-ended questions can be answered with a single word or short phrase (e.g., "Are you feeling
sad?"). They are useful for gathering specific facts. Open-ended questions encourage expansive,
narrative responses (e.g., "Can you tell me about the sadness you're experiencing?"). They facilitate
exploration and client self-discovery.
,10. Q: What is the function of "minimal encouragers"? Give three examples.
A: Minimal encouragers are subtle verbal and non-verbal cues that signal to the client to continue
speaking. They communicate attention without interrupting the flow. Examples: "Uh-huh," "I see," a
head nod, "Mm-hmm," "Go on."
11. Q: Define "ethical transference" and "countertransference."
A: Transference is the client's unconscious redirection of feelings from past significant relationships (e.g.,
parent, partner) onto the counselor. Countertransference is the counselor's emotional reaction to the
client, often based on the counselor's own unresolved issues or unconscious biases. Both must be
managed ethically and, in the case of countertransference, addressed through supervision.
12. Q: What is "informed consent" and what information must it include?
A: Informed consent is the process of providing a client with sufficient information about therapy to
make a voluntary decision to participate. It must include: the nature of therapy, risks and benefits,
confidentiality and its limits, fees, session length, the counselor's qualifications, and the client's right to
withdraw.
13. Q: What are the limits of confidentiality?
A: Confidentiality is not absolute. Limits include: 1) Risk of harm to self or others (duty to warn/protect),
2) Suspected abuse or neglect of a minor, elder, or dependent adult, 3) Court order, 4) Client waives
confidentiality in writing, 5) Client is in a life-threatening emergency.
14. Q: What is the "duty to warn" and which legal case established it?
A: The duty to warn is a legal obligation for a counselor to breach confidentiality to protect a third party
who is in immediate, foreseeable danger from a client. It was established by the California Supreme
Court case Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976).
15. Q: Define "self-disclosure" in counseling. What are the ethical guidelines for its use?
A: Self-disclosure is when a counselor reveals personal information to a client. Ethical guidelines state it
should only be used if it is therapeutic (benefits the client's progress), purposeful, brief, and client-
centered. It should never be used to meet the counselor's needs or burden the client.
16. Q: What is the difference between "values imposition" and "value exploration"?
, A: Values imposition is when a counselor directly or indirectly attempts to influence a client to adopt the
counselor's values, beliefs, or attitudes. Value exploration is the ethical process of helping clients clarify
their own values, make choices congruent with them, and explore the consequences of those choices.
17. Q: What are "nonverbal cues" and why are they important?
A: Nonverbal cues are all forms of communication besides spoken words, including posture, eye contact,
facial expression, gestures, tone of voice, and personal space. They are important because they often
convey a client's true emotions more accurately than words and are critical for building rapport and
detecting incongruence.
18. Q: Define "rapport." How is it established in the first session?
A: Rapport is a state of mutual trust, harmony, and understanding between counselor and client. It is
established through: warm, respectful greeting; active listening; empathy; genuineness; maintaining
appropriate eye contact; mirroring the client's language and energy level; and clarifying expectations
and confidentiality.
19. Q: What is "attending behavior"?
A: Attending behavior is the culturally and individually appropriate way a counselor demonstrates they
are fully present and focused on the client. It involves three V's: Visual (eye contact), Vocal (tone of
voice), Verbal (following the client's topic), and Body language (an engaged posture).
20. Q: Why is "cultural competence" essential in counseling techniques?
A: Cultural competence is essential because techniques developed in one cultural context may be
ineffective or harmful in another. A counselor must understand their own cultural biases, the client's
worldview, and adapt interventions to be congruent with the client's cultural values, communication
styles, and beliefs.
Unit 2: Foundational Techniques & Core Skills
21. Q: What is "reflection of feeling" and how does it differ from paraphrasing?
A: Reflection of feeling is a technique where the counselor identifies and articulates the underlying
emotion a client is expressing, either verbally or non-verbally. It differs from paraphrasing, which
covering the core content of PSY 104 –
Counseling Techniques. The material is
organized by major units to mirror a standard
semester long course.
Unit 1: Foundations of Counseling & The Therapeutic Relationship
1. Q: What are the three core conditions of person-centered therapy, according to Carl Rogers?
A: The three core conditions are: 1) Unconditional Positive Regard (accepting and valuing the client
without judgment), 2) Empathy (accurately understanding the client's internal frame of reference), and
3) Congruence (genuineness; the therapist is authentic and their internal experience matches their
external expression).
2. Q: Define "active listening" and list its four key components.
A: Active listening is a technique used to fully concentrate, understand, respond, and remember what a
client is saying. Its four key components are: 1) Attention (non-verbal and verbal focus), 2) Hearing and
understanding (comprehending the content and emotion), 3) Remembering (retaining key information),
and 4) Responding (providing feedback that shows understanding, such as through paraphrasing).
3. Q: What is the difference between "empathy" and "sympathy" in a counseling context?
A: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another from their perspective—
"walking in their shoes." Sympathy involves feelings of pity, sorrow, or concern for the other person
from an external, often superior, vantage point. Empathy fosters connection and empowerment;
sympathy can create distance and a sense of pity.
4. Q: Define "congruence" (genuineness) and explain why it is critical for building trust.
,A: Congruence is the state where a counselor's internal experience (feelings, thoughts) aligns with their
external expression (words, body language). It is critical because it establishes authenticity. Clients are
perceptive; if a counselor is incongruent, they appear phony, untrustworthy, or disingenuous, which
undermines the therapeutic alliance.
5. Q: What is the purpose of "paraphrasing"?
A: Paraphrasing is a technique where the counselor rephrases the essence of what the client has just
said in the counselor's own words. Its purpose is to: 1) demonstrate active listening and understanding,
2) allow the client to hear their own thoughts reflected back, 3) clarify meaning, and 4) encourage the
client to elaborate further.
6. Q: What is "unconditional positive regard" (UPR) and how is it demonstrated?
A: UPR is the fundamental acceptance and respect a counselor holds for a client, regardless of what they
say or do. It is demonstrated through non-judgmental language, accepting all feelings without
evaluation, not imposing personal values, and maintaining warmth and care even when disagreeing with
the client's actions.
7. Q: Describe the four stages of the counseling process.
A: 1) Establishing Relationship: Building rapport, trust, and setting the therapeutic alliance. 2)
Assessment and Diagnosis: Gathering information, exploring the client's concerns, and formulating a
clinical picture. 3) Goal Setting: Collaboratively defining desired outcomes and creating a treatment plan.
4) Intervention and Termination: Implementing techniques to achieve goals and ending the therapeutic
relationship appropriately.
8. Q: What is "therapeutic alliance" and why is it considered the best predictor of positive outcomes?
A: The therapeutic alliance is the collaborative, trusting, and mutually agreed-upon bond between
counselor and client. It includes agreement on goals, agreement on tasks, and the quality of the
emotional bond. Research consistently shows it is a stronger predictor of successful therapy outcomes
than any specific technique.
9. Q: What are "closed-ended" vs. "open-ended" questions? Provide an example of each.
A: Closed-ended questions can be answered with a single word or short phrase (e.g., "Are you feeling
sad?"). They are useful for gathering specific facts. Open-ended questions encourage expansive,
narrative responses (e.g., "Can you tell me about the sadness you're experiencing?"). They facilitate
exploration and client self-discovery.
,10. Q: What is the function of "minimal encouragers"? Give three examples.
A: Minimal encouragers are subtle verbal and non-verbal cues that signal to the client to continue
speaking. They communicate attention without interrupting the flow. Examples: "Uh-huh," "I see," a
head nod, "Mm-hmm," "Go on."
11. Q: Define "ethical transference" and "countertransference."
A: Transference is the client's unconscious redirection of feelings from past significant relationships (e.g.,
parent, partner) onto the counselor. Countertransference is the counselor's emotional reaction to the
client, often based on the counselor's own unresolved issues or unconscious biases. Both must be
managed ethically and, in the case of countertransference, addressed through supervision.
12. Q: What is "informed consent" and what information must it include?
A: Informed consent is the process of providing a client with sufficient information about therapy to
make a voluntary decision to participate. It must include: the nature of therapy, risks and benefits,
confidentiality and its limits, fees, session length, the counselor's qualifications, and the client's right to
withdraw.
13. Q: What are the limits of confidentiality?
A: Confidentiality is not absolute. Limits include: 1) Risk of harm to self or others (duty to warn/protect),
2) Suspected abuse or neglect of a minor, elder, or dependent adult, 3) Court order, 4) Client waives
confidentiality in writing, 5) Client is in a life-threatening emergency.
14. Q: What is the "duty to warn" and which legal case established it?
A: The duty to warn is a legal obligation for a counselor to breach confidentiality to protect a third party
who is in immediate, foreseeable danger from a client. It was established by the California Supreme
Court case Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California (1976).
15. Q: Define "self-disclosure" in counseling. What are the ethical guidelines for its use?
A: Self-disclosure is when a counselor reveals personal information to a client. Ethical guidelines state it
should only be used if it is therapeutic (benefits the client's progress), purposeful, brief, and client-
centered. It should never be used to meet the counselor's needs or burden the client.
16. Q: What is the difference between "values imposition" and "value exploration"?
, A: Values imposition is when a counselor directly or indirectly attempts to influence a client to adopt the
counselor's values, beliefs, or attitudes. Value exploration is the ethical process of helping clients clarify
their own values, make choices congruent with them, and explore the consequences of those choices.
17. Q: What are "nonverbal cues" and why are they important?
A: Nonverbal cues are all forms of communication besides spoken words, including posture, eye contact,
facial expression, gestures, tone of voice, and personal space. They are important because they often
convey a client's true emotions more accurately than words and are critical for building rapport and
detecting incongruence.
18. Q: Define "rapport." How is it established in the first session?
A: Rapport is a state of mutual trust, harmony, and understanding between counselor and client. It is
established through: warm, respectful greeting; active listening; empathy; genuineness; maintaining
appropriate eye contact; mirroring the client's language and energy level; and clarifying expectations
and confidentiality.
19. Q: What is "attending behavior"?
A: Attending behavior is the culturally and individually appropriate way a counselor demonstrates they
are fully present and focused on the client. It involves three V's: Visual (eye contact), Vocal (tone of
voice), Verbal (following the client's topic), and Body language (an engaged posture).
20. Q: Why is "cultural competence" essential in counseling techniques?
A: Cultural competence is essential because techniques developed in one cultural context may be
ineffective or harmful in another. A counselor must understand their own cultural biases, the client's
worldview, and adapt interventions to be congruent with the client's cultural values, communication
styles, and beliefs.
Unit 2: Foundational Techniques & Core Skills
21. Q: What is "reflection of feeling" and how does it differ from paraphrasing?
A: Reflection of feeling is a technique where the counselor identifies and articulates the underlying
emotion a client is expressing, either verbally or non-verbally. It differs from paraphrasing, which
