Two primary sources of beginning counselor worries are identified: (1) concern for one's competence as a counselor and a person and (2) worry about the increasing intimacy involved in discussing the emotional life of a client. A catalog of possible humorous responses of beginning counselors is provided, and each response is illustrated with an…

Several approaches have been used to teach basic counseling skills to beginning trainees. A cognitive self-instructional modeling approach was employed with a student pre-practicum class. The treatment group (N=9) received 6 hours of training by observing counselor models, formulating their helping responses aloud, practicing the asking of focused…

Beginning counselors are rarely able to avoid anxiety during early counseling sessions. The fears involved in demonstrating counseling arise from: (1) irrational beliefs concerning "the perfect response;" (2) academic coursework which seems to equate psychological illness with poor counseling skills; (3) uncertainty about necessary skills; and (4)…