A Study On In-session Client Resistance

As a concomitant phenomenon of counseling, resistance was an important factor that influenced the process and outcome of counseling. From a viewpoint of counseling process research, this research examined the influences of four important factors, which were client psychological reactance, counselor directiveness, real relationship and working alliance, to the in-session client resistance, and 59 sessions in three university students' counseling centers were taped for use. The first two factors were as independent variables in this research, and their interaction effects to the in-session client resistance were examined. Moreover, the last two were as moderator variables, and their moderator effects were examined. The results were as follows:(1) In the condition of the influences of the in-session counselor directiveness and the other factors of the client psychological reactance were controlled, the "Refution" factor of the client psychological reactance negatively predicted the in-session client resistance (or resistant responses), while the "Antiauthority" factor positively predicted.(2) In the condition of the influence of the client psychological reactance was controlled, the in-session counselor directiveness could not predicte the in-session client resistance.(3) The interactions of the in-session counselor direcitiveness and the two factors of the client psychological reactance, which were "Refution" and "Antiauthority", could significantly predicte the in-session client resistance.(4) The interaction of the "Genuineness" factor of the real relationship and the "Opposite Emotions" factor of the client psychological reactance had a significant influence on the in-session client resistance.(5) The "Bond" factor of the working alliance negatively predicted the in-session client resistance. And the interactions of the "Bond" factor of the working alliance and the two factors of the client psychological reactance, which were "Opposite Emotions" and "Refution", had significant influences on the in-session client resistance.