Certified Addiction Counselor (CAC) Practice

Which technique encourages clients to delve deeper into their emotions by reflecting their feelings?

1. Paraphrasing

2. Summarization

3. Interpretation

4. Reflection

The correct answer is: Reflection

The technique that encourages clients to delve deeper into their emotions by reflecting their feelings is reflection. This approach involves restating or rephrasing what a client has expressed, particularly focusing on their emotional content. By doing so, it helps clients to gain a clearer understanding of their own emotions and encourages them to explore those feelings further. When a counselor reflects the emotions a client shares, it validates the client's experience and can facilitate a deeper exploration of their thoughts, emotions, and underlying issues. This process often leads to increased self-awareness and can be pivotal in therapeutic settings where understanding and processing emotions is critical for healing and growth. In contrast, paraphrasing primarily involves rewording the factual content of what the client says without emphasizing feelings. Summarization provides a concise overview of the conversation but does not specifically urge clients to look deeper into their emotions. Interpretation involves offering insights or explanations about a client's behavior or feelings, which differs from simply reflecting their emotions back to them. Thus, the reflection technique is specifically designed to encourage that emotional exploration which is essential in the counseling process.