Chapter 11: The Counseling Interview
1. On what assumption is the nondirective approach to counseling based?
2. What types of information does the client-centered approach to counseling gather?
3. Under what circumstances would a counselor choose to use a directive approach?
4. Which seating arrangements seem to aid communication during counseling interviews?
5. Provide examples of highly nondirective, nondirective, directive, and highly directive
6. What factors affect an interviewee’s self-disclosure?
7. Why is it essential for an interviewer in a counseling interview to begin with self-
8. What are the ingredients of an effective closing for counseling interviews?
9. What behaviors enable interviewers to communicate willingness to listen to
10. What role does an interviewer’s self-disclosure play in a counseling interview?
11. Discuss five ways of analyzing an interviewee in a counseling interview.
12. How can your relationship with an interviewee affect a counseling interview?
13. Discuss the preparation questions to ask yourself before conducting a counseling
14. What are some of the factors to be considered in evaluation of an interview?
15. Discuss the problems with telephone counseling interviews.
16. An interviewer’s self-disclosure of personal experiences helps an interviewee gain
insights and new perspectives because of _____.
a. empathy
b. reduced dissonance
c. a supportive climate
d. a perceived equal relationship
17. Which of the following statements is supported by research?
a. Females disclose significantly more about themselves than do males.
b. Males disclose more about intimate topics such as sex than do females.
c. A person’s self-disclosure history does not affect disclosure in counseling
interviews.
d. Females often have psychological defenses to protect themselves from emotional
reactions.
18. Which of the following statements is true about a counseling interview?
a. It requires an interviewer to resolve a problem rather than assuming it to be an
interviewee’s task.
b. It is conducted to assist another party gain insights into and ways of coping with a
personal problem.
c. It excludes common personal problems concerning work or academic
performance, finances, and relationships.
d. It is among the least sensitive of interviews because it occurs even when another
party feels capable of handling a problem.
19. In the context of a directive counseling interview, which of the following is an
assumption made by an interviewer?
a. A client is capable of selecting a solution.
b. A counselor is incapable of identifying a client’s problem.
c. A counselor knows more about a problem than a client.
d. A client is capable of identifying a problem.
20. Which of the following statements is true about a directive interviewing approach?
a. An interviewee is an equal and major player in the interaction rather than a reactor
or recipient.
b. An interviewee controls the structure of the interview, determines the topics, and
decides when and how each will be discussed.
c. An interviewer serves as an objective, neutral referee, presenting pros and cons of
specific courses of action.
d. An interviewer collects and shares information, defines and analyzes problems,
and provides guidelines for actions.
21. Which of the following is a salient feature of telephone interviews?
a. They are expensive.
b. They are inconvenient.
c. They take place over short distances only.
d. They give people a sense of control.
22. Which of the following is a recommendation regarding initial comments during the
opening of a counseling interview?
a. Avoid tactless and leading reactions.
b. Don’t second guess the interviewee’s reason for making an appointment.
c. Both a and b are correct.
d. None of the answers is correct.
23. Which of the following statements is true about a nondirective interviewing approach?
a. An interviewee controls the structure of the interview, determines the topics, and
decides when and how each will be discussed.
b. An interviewer is assumed to know more about a problem than an interviewee and
is better suited to analyze it and recommend solutions.
c. An interviewer serves as an expert or consultant who analyzes problems and
provides guidelines for actions.
d. An interviewee is a reactor and recipient rather than an equal or major player in
the interaction.
24. Which of the following describes deceptive answers?
a. They are more hesitant.
b. They are characterized by long pauses.
c. They are lengthy.
d. All of the answers are correct.
25. In the context of selecting a structural format for conducting a counseling interview,
which of the following should typically be an interviewer’s first step when beginning a
counseling interview?
a. Discover the nature of an interviewee’s problems.
b. Probe deeply into an interviewee’s feelings.
c. Establish rapport and a feeling of trust.
d. Decide about a course of action.
26. Which of the following statements about interviewees who receive positive feedback is
true and backed by research?
a. They comply more with an interviewer’s requests and recommendations.
b. They arrive earlier for counseling.
c. They return more often for counseling.
d. All of the answers are correct.
27. It is safe to assume that cultural differences are greater than all other considerations in
counseling interviews.
a. True
b. False
28. Highly nondirective responses are most appropriate for simple behavioral problems.
a. True
b. False
29. Research indicates that people maintain eye contact longer when they lie.
a. True
b. False
30. The American Counseling Association identifies trust as the cornerstone of a counseling
relationship.
a. True
b. False
31. It is NOT acceptable to combine approaches during a counseling interview.
a. True
b. False
32. Using a round table is considered by some interviewers to be an effective arrangement for
counseling interviews.
a. True
b. False
33. A situation is the least important variable in determining self-disclosure.
a. True
b. False
34. If you are NOT a professional therapist and are helping someone you may be called a lay
counselor.
a. True
b. False
35. Directly or indirectly moralizing, blaming, questioning, and disagreeing are major
roadblocks to effective counseling.
a. True
b. False
36. A concern for ethics must be ever-present in an interview because it inevitably affects the
lives and careers of both the parties involved in the interview.
a. True
b. False
37. Use informational probes for clarification and explanation.
a. True
b. False
38. Avoid curious probes into feelings and embarrassing incidents.
a. True
b. False
39. Highly nondirective reactions and responses encourage interviewees to continue
commenting, analyze ideas and solutions, and be self-reliant.
a. True
b. False