Overshooting in counseling occurs when the counselor reflects a feeling that is

• A. More intense than the client's
• B. Less intense than the client's
• C. The same as the client's
• D. Irrelevant to the client's emotion

Answer: (A)

Overshooting occurs when the counselor’s reflection exaggerates the client’s emotion. The counselor should mirror what the client feels at an equal or congruent level, not amplify it with a stronger affect. When the counselor reflects a feeling that’s more intense than the client’s, it shifts the focus to the counselor’s own experience and can disrupt trust and the client’s sense of being understood. For example, if a client feels sad about a loss, a helpful reflection would acknowledge that sadness at a similar level; reacting with anger or overwhelming intensity would overshoot. Reflecting less intense feelings would be under-responding, reflecting the same intensity would be accurate, and reflecting an emotion irrelevant to the client would misattend.