The influence the counsellor has on his or her clients is problematic both theoretically and practically. This article explores how counsellors in six focus groups talked about counsellor influence in response to a series of scenarios and questions. The counsellors adopted three main, or "core", positions about influence: "counsellors shouldn't influence"; "influence is inevitable"; and "counselling is influence". These were linked by various "bridging arguments" through which the research participants made sense of the contradictions between the core positions. The rhetorical use of these bridging arguments highlights some significant paradoxes within counselling around power, influence and direction. (Contains 1 table and 4 notes.)