Abstract

The present study is to examine the counseling process in relation to counseling session outcome. The first purpose of the present study was to examine several possible session process variables that could be correlated with session outcome: (a) counselor intentions, (b) client perceptions of counselor intentions, and (c) similarities and differences between what the counselor intended and what the client perceived as the counselor intention. The second purpose was to examine the correlations between participants' preception of counselor intentions and session outcome. The purposes were achieved in two ways: one, without discriminating session, and two, across session divided into initial, progressed and near termination. For the purposes the Session Evaluation Ouestionnaire for Koreans and the List of Counselor Intentions for Koreans were developed and modified by the author and tested for their reliablility and validity. The data were collected from actual counseling cases. The subjects of the study were twenty six college and. graduate students as clients with an equal ratio between male and female. Five female counselors working at university in student guidance center as counselors. The results of this study are summarized as follows : First, the most frequently perceived counselor intentions for both clients and counselors were- "get information", "support", "clarify", "feeling" and "insight," Second, "get information", "hope"and "self-control" were perceived more by the clients, while "clarify", "insight" and "resistance" were more frequently mentioned by the counselors. Third. intention varied systematically across counseling sessions: (a) during the initial session, the most frequently perceived intentions by the clients were "get information" and "clarify" ; (b) in progressed sessions, "feeling", "insight" and "challenge" ; (c) in near termination, "feeling" and ·challenge": and (d) ·support" was perceived frequently by the clients all across the sessions. Fourth, most frequently reported intentions by the counselors were; (a) in initial sessions, ·get information" and "feeling" ; (b) in progressed sessions, "insight" and "change" ; (c) in near termination. "insight· and "feeling" ; and (d) "support" and "clarify" were mentioned frequently all across the session by the counselors. Fifth, session outcome is correlated with client perception of "support" and "self-control" in all session evaluation factors while session outcome is correlated with counselor perception of "cathart, " "feeling" and "challenge." sixth, intentions related with session outcome varied across sessions: session outcome was correlated with client perception of "support" and "self-control" in progressed session; while "cathart" and "resistance" was identified in near termination. On the other hand. session outcome was correlated with counselor report of "support" and "insight" in progressed sessions; and "feeling" in initial sessions; while "cathart" and "insight" in progressed sessions; and "feeling" in near termination. The most significant finding of this study was session outcome. However, it should be noted that further research is needed to investigate how the variables effect session outcome. It is feit by the author that this study is expected to contribute to counselor education and training and to improve counseling effectiveness.