Page 169 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Unit 16: Interview Process in Counseling

Every interview, whether employed for research or for counseling, must satisfy certain basic requisites, Notes
one of which is that there should be no element of conflict with the interviewee. The interviewer
must establish rapport by securing the trust and confidence of the interviewee. It is from this stage
that the counseling interview parts company with the other types of interviews. The counseling
interview is unique in that it is a therapeutic device along with being an information obtaining
device.
According to Garrett (1942), the interviewer should ask himself or seek answers to the following six
questions :
1. How do I view the association of ideas contained within the interview ?
2. What shifts in conversation occur which might be meaningful ?
3. What content and affect are present in the client’s opening and closing statements ?
4. What recurrent references are present ?
5. Do inconsistencies and gaps occur which might be of particular significance ?
6. Does a reconsideration of the session indicate an unconscious effort to conceal or hide that
which is of concern to the counselee ?

16.2 Steps within the Interview Process

It is a common practice with counselors to review the counseling session and such a review reveals
several interesting features of the counseling interview. For instance, the interview may appear
disjointed and repetitive but careful observation reveals a pattern of consistency. The various ideas
expressed by the client suggest an underlying theme or consciousness, though superficially, for all
practical purposes, they could appear to be no more than a conglomerate of ideas got together by
free-association. From the apparent confusion, the counselor can discern the conflicts or problems
or complexes that are encountered by the client. This is a very important psychoanalytic technique
of therapy. The association of ideas, therefore, may bring to the fore the counselee’s feelings which
he may not be disposed to express otherwise.

In verbal communication the counselor should also notice the rapid or the halting way in
which the client speaks, the gaps in the speech and differences in tone and voice, which
could provide a wealth of information.

Opening and Closing Remarks
These remarks of the client may apparently mean nothing. However, the counselor may obtain a
significant insight when reviewing these opening or closing remarks. For instance, they may suggest
reluctance on the part of the client or they may indicate his sincerity.
Recurrent Reference

When a client refers to a particular idea or experience in the course of the counseling interview
several times, it may be of special significance.
Inconsistencies and Gaps
Some of them may appear self-contradictory but inconsistencies and gaps could suggest resistance
or traumatic experience which the client unwillingly discloses in the conversation. During the
interview the counselor may not realize the significance of such material.

Review
In review, however, the counselor is more likely to appreciate the concealed meaning of the client’s
statements or inconsistencies or gaps in his conversation.

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