GOALS OF THE COUNSELOR
The only workable goal for a counselor to have with a client is the one of freeing the client from the aberration. The only effective means of doing this are the discharge of painful emotion or pain tensions and the re-evaluation by the client herself of the experience involved.
Other reactive goals will tend to interpose themselves in the counselor's way largely as a result of restimulation. The off-beam character of these are often obvious when they show up as "trying to please the client", "trying to make the client comfortable", "having a good visit", "showing the client who's boss", etc., etc.
Others are more insidious because of widespread misconceptions in our culture. "Finding out what's wrong with the client," "getting to the bottom of what makes her that way," "finding out what she's really trying to hide," "understanding him," "getting some experience in counseling," etc., may sound like acceptable goals for a counselor, but they are as wrong and unworkable as the others.
The only workable goal for a counselor is the freeing of the client from aberration through discharge and re-evaluation.