Current findings regarding the effectiveness of counseling: Implications for practice

Research on the effectiveness of counseling is reviewed, and conclusions are drawn about the consequences for professional practice. The research literature clearly shows that counseling is effective in relation to no-treatment and placebo control conditions. The effects of counseling seem to be relatively lasting. These effects are attained in relatively brief time periods, with the percentage of clients who show substantial improvement increasing as the number of counseling sessions increases. There continues to be little evidence of specific efficacy for particular techniques or counseling theories, and a small portion of clients seem to deteriorate while undergoing, and perhaps because of, counseling interventions.