ABSTRACT
Clients often have preconceived notions of what counseling is like. Television and movies contribute to popular images of bearded men smoking pipes and looking at clients lying on padded couches. Counselors are as different as are clients: they come in all shapes and sizes, and in both sexes. Counseling settings also vary from plush offices to storefronts. Although both counselors and counseling settings may differ considerably, effective helpers often follow similar approaches to beginning counseling sessions. At the start of a helping session, it is particularly important to try to reduce the client's concerns about the counseling situation. Good helpers make their clients feel as comfortable as possible from the very beginning of a counseling session.
