Understanding the Partnership with a Counselor

Reflecting Hope believes that a collaborative relationship between the client and counselor is essential in achieving the best results through the counseling process. A collaborative relationship in counseling exists when the client and licensed counselor work together in an active process to create an equal partnership geared toward achieving the client’s goals.

A relationship is established over the first few sessions. The counselor will invite the client to tell their story and reasons for seeking help while actively listening, asking questions, and commenting to make sure they accurately understand. The client will remain the expert on their experiences as they share their story at their own pace. The counselor will demonstrate genuine interest and empathy while guiding and encouraging the client towards growth and change.

The collaborative relationship continues throughout the counseling process as they talk with each other to achieve the client’s goals. A counselor will actively listen and respond, pay attention to verbal and nonverbal communication, ask the client whether their own interpretation of the experience is accurate, and pause, using silence to create space for reflection. The counselor will also provide education, tools, and coping skills to assist the client in working toward goals both in and outside of therapy.

In this partnership, both the client and counselor change as meaningful conversations occur and different perspectives are explored through gaining new knowledge and understanding. This creates a positive and proactive approach which encourages the client to look within themselves to find self-respect, self-awareness, and self-worth to motivate them towards their goals and succeed in all aspects of life.