Abstract

The present study was attempted to find related variables which contribute to the manifestation of client resistance in counseling and psychotherapy. The study was based upon the underlying assumption that client resistance manifests itself as a function of client's personality traits, characteristics of therapist's interventions, and the nature of therapeutic relationship. Psychological reactance was considered as relevant to client's personality potentials for resistance. The directiveness, depth, interpersonal climate, and destructiveness of therapist's interventions were regarded as some important features of therapist's interventions which could provoke resistive behaviors from clients. And the poor level of working alliance was also construed as of resistance-provoking nature. It was resulted that the level of clients' psychological reactance did not relate with the amount or intensity of client's resistive behaviors in therapy sessions. However, the directiveness, depth, interpersonal climate, and destructiveness of therapist's interventions were found to contribute significantly to the occurrence of resistive behaviors of clients. And poorer working alliances were related significantly with more resistive behaviors. However, any interaction among the level of psychological reactance, characteristics of therapist's interventions, and working alliance were not significant in explaining client resistance in therapy sessions. Results of the study indicate that the characteristics of therapist's intervening behaviors and the nature of working alliance are some of major contributors to client resistance in counseling and psychotherapy. The limitations and implications of the research were also discussed.