<p>There is much to be said about the relationship between a counselor and a patient.&nbsp; While it has long been acknowledged and understood that the proper working relationship, complete with trust, is important for effectiveness in the counseling outcome itself, there has not been much study in what all of those factors really are.&nbsp; To help better professional relationships and the role, and importance of counseling, studies are underway to change that for the better.&nbsp;</p> <p>What factors play into the effectiveness of counseling?</p> <p>Generally, women preferred having a counselor with a more thought and emotional focus.&nbsp; Men preferred an action-based approach.&nbsp; However, research suggests that the overall effectiveness of counseling, ignoring gender, is impacted by a few factors.&nbsp; The main ones include:</p> <ul> <li><strong>How similar or dissimilar the counselor and the patient are: </strong>Some patients seeking help found that meeting with a counselor that was similar to them was helpful because they were able to connect with them.&nbsp; This led to a better and easier outcome.&nbsp; Contrastingly, other patients found that working with a counselor who was different than them helped them get a better outcome, due to a different approach and perspective.</li> </ul> <p>The right match (or mismatch) is important in ensuring that every patient is able to both connect with, and find success with, the counselor and their chosen approaches for treatment.<br /> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><strong>The alignment between counselor morals and treatment: </strong>We are intended to follow certain treatment plans.&nbsp; If their morals align with those treatment models, we are able to provide better and more authentic treatment for our patients than in a situation where our morals do not align.<br /> <br /> This is also the case for patients and whether or not their morals line up with the approaches that we are using.&nbsp; If not, it is more difficult for patient to complete treatment and/or find it effective.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What makes counseling effective?</strong></p> <p>In understanding the need for similarities and morals, there is also the factor of effectiveness when it comes to the counseling in its use.&nbsp; There are two main factors that can impact effectiveness in counseling when the above conditions are met:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Shared etiological beliefs:</strong> Counselors and patients, for effectiveness, must share etiological beliefs.&nbsp; In both recognition, treatment, and implementation of that treatment plan, counselors and patients will have a more productive and effective relationship if these are shared.</li> </ul> <ul> <li><strong>The schedule of counseling: </strong>The other factor for best treatment is to ensure that it is a longer schedule.&nbsp; Rather than having few sessions over a short amount of time, regularly scheduled sessions long-term gave both patient and counselor time to adjust to each other and learn how to communicate and work with each other.&nbsp; Those who partook in long-term counseling over the span of years, found it more effective in changing their life for the better.</li> </ul> <p>Counseling can play either a helping hand or a hurting hand in a patient&rsquo;s life, and its effectiveness relates as much to the patient themselves as it does to the counselor and the course of treatment.</p>