ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on ways that people can help clients who struggle to begin to make use of their therapeutic relationship with them. Yet, some struggle in starting for a variety of reasons. Some may be inhibited by negative preconceptions of counseling. Think of a variety of clients with situations in which they may struggle to begin to make use of their therapeutic relationship. A therapeutic relationship is an optimally fertile and safe environment for their client's growth. So, it is helpful for the counselor to respond to even low levels of affect present in client's communication. People provide guidance here on offering questions or suggesting topics to help clients who struggle in starting. In such situations, they have taken the written information as if it were client's first communications to them and so reflected the parts that seemed most important to clients to help them begin face-to-face communication, when necessary.
