Clients' perceptions of helpful experiences in counseling.

The question of what clients experience as helpful in counseling was examined via concept mapping, a methodological approach combining qualitative and quantitative strategies. The purpose of the study was to clarify the scope and interrelations among elements of the retrospective experience of helpfulness among 36 clients who had completed counseling after an average of 11 sessions. Five thematic clusters consistent with previous research were identified: Counselor Facilitative Interpersonal Style, Counselor Interventions, Generating Client Resources, New Perspectives, and Client Self-Disclosure. Four new thematic clusters were also identified: Emotional Relief, Gaining Knowledge, Accessibility, and Client Resolutions. The structure of the concept map generated by the participants in this study was found to be consistent with an integrative, pantheoretical model of the counseling process.