Title: What Do We Know, or Think We Know, About How Counseling Works? And What Counselors Believe Matters Most - And Why Their Clients Disagree

Authors: Jeffrey A. Kottler, PhD and Richard S. Balkin, PhD

Description: Let’s acknowledge at the outset that there are decades of empirical research, not to mention practitioner anecdotes, to support the power, influence, and efficacy of counseling. This is True across a number of theoretical orientations, clinician styles, contexts, clinical specialties, diagnostic issues, and client problems. However, in spite of the confidence we might feel in the power of our profession to improve the quality of people’s lives, as well as to address their most challenging difficulties, we are by no means all in agreement as to why it works.In this initial overview of what we know, or at least what we believe may be the case, we review some of the consensual assumptions and common precepts about what most consistently produces the most satisfying outcomes—for both clients and their counselors.