Jill tells her friend, 'This counselor doesn't seem to pay any attention to me. I don't think she even wants to help me.' According to Erford, the counselor may be lacking ____________ with Jill.

• A. Empathy
• B. Eye contact
• C. Warmth
• D. Listening skills

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is attending behavior, especially nonverbal cues that show the counselor is present and focused. Eye contact is a primary signal that the counselor is paying attention, listening, and engaged with the client. If Jill perceives that the counselor isn’t paying attention, the missing eye contact would be the clearest cue to that feeling of disengagement and lack of willingness to help. While empathy, warmth, and listening skills are all important in building rapport, the specific perception Jill describes is most directly tied to eye contact as a sign of attention.