The counselor's response to 'Yeah. I feel so hopeless and helpless.' is best described as which counseling technique?

• A. Reflection of feelings
• B. Paraphrase
• C. Questioning
• D. Confrontation

Answer: (A)

Acknowledging and naming the client’s emotions through reflection helps the client feel understood and validated. When someone says they feel hopeless and helpless, reflecting that feeling back to them confirms you hear the emotional weight they’re carrying and invites them to explore it further. A typical reflective response might be, “You’re feeling hopeless and helpless—that sounds really heavy.” This reinforces the connection and encourages deeper sharing about what led to those emotions, without judgment.

Paraphrase focuses more on restating what was said in different words and may not explicitly name the emotion, while questioning would seek more information and push for details, and confrontation would challenge the client’s feelings. Reflecting the feelings is the most fitting way to validate and connect with the client in this moment.