The purpose of this study was to investigate counselor''s and
client''s verbal response modes, their verbal interactions,
their agreements on working alliance and session impact, and
their associations among working alliance, verbal response
modes, and session impact. Fourteen undergraduate students
served as clients, their presenting problems included
interpersonal relationship, negative early childhood
experience, self-understanding, and study problem. Twelve
graduate students of counseling psychology with different
theoretical orientation served as counselors. Each counselor
and client dyad received 4 counseling sessions(2 counselors
across the 4 clients). The major findings were as follows:
1.For counselor response modes, the sessions were mainly
characterized by information, minimal encourager, and open
question; minimal encourager, and close question decreased
across 4 counseling sessions. Clients primarily used the
response modes of description, simple response and experiencing
; verbal description decreased across 4 counseling sessions.
2.As for counselor-client verbal interactions, clients
exhibited simple responses and description following counselors
approval-reassurance, information, close question or
restatement. Clients manifested responses modes of description
and experiencing following counselors'' open question and
confrontation. In turn, counselors would provide information,
minimal encourager and open question following clients'' simple
response or request. 3.On the whole, counselor-client agreement
on working alliance during 4 sessions was high; counselor-
client agreement on session impact was medium. 4.Seven
counselor-client verbal response interaction models were
constructed, and four association models among working
alliance, verval response modes, and session impact were
offered.