Dual relationships: Client perceptions of the effect of client-counselor relationship on the therapeutic process

Abstract

Sixty-seven former clients of a large metropolitan counseling center were surveyed as to the frequency with which they experienced 21 specific forms of client-counselor contact during therapy. Thirteen behaviors surveyed described forms of social contact and eight behaviors described forms of physical contact. Respondents also evaluated the 21 behaviors as to their presumed effect on the therapy by rating each behavior on a scale ranging from −2, “very detrimental,” to +2, “very beneficial.” Four client-counselor behaviors were rated by a majority of respondents as beneficial to therapy, and eight client-counselor behaviors were rated by a majority of respondents as detrimental to therapy.