The early stages of empathy in counseling+motional reaction, role-taking, and cognitive suspension-have all been largely ignored in the counselor education/psychological literature. This article describes these stages from the perspective of the aesthetidfilm literatures. Emotional reaction is an internal, unobservable state of being. Role-taking involves cognitive understanding and entering the perceptual world of another. Cognitive suspension means letting go of personal beliefs and values. The film literature describes how audience emotional states are created by directors, writers, actors, and editors. This article explains how counselor educators and supervisors can use this information to help counselors increase their empathic experiences.

The overall purpose of this study was to determine the effects of client sex and counselor sex and sex role on the counseling relationship, using an analogue format in which 35 male and 39 female undergraduate students participated in simulated counseling interviews. Subjects were stratified by sex and randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions: (a) masculine male counselor, (b) feminine male counselor, (c) masculine female counselor, and (d) feminine female counselor. At the conclusion of the interview, the subject completed the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (Form OS-M-64) and a questionnaire assessing the subject's satisfaction with the counseling session. The audiotapes of the sessions were rated by trained judges for (a) positive affective self-references, (b) negative affective self-references, and (c) total nonaffective self-references of the subjects. A 2 X 2 X 2 factorial analysis was performed on each of the dependent variables. The results indicate that male subjects were more satisfied with the counseling process than female subjects. In addition, male subjects indicated greater satisfaction and a higher level of counselor regard with feminine counselors than with masculine counselors, regardless of counselor sex. In contrast, female subjects indicated greater satisfaction and a higher level of counselor regard with masculine counselors than with feminine counselors, regardless of counselor sex. The results also indicate that male subjects talked most about themselves with feminine female counselors and least about themselves with masculine female counselors, while female subjects talked most about themselves with feminine male counselors and least about themselves with masculine male counselors. These findings are related to the feminist plea for same-sex pairing in the counseling relationship.One of the significant controversies in necessary conditions for personal growth current counseling practice concerns the (Carter, 1971;Chesler, 1972). Advocates of problem of sex pairing in the counseling re-this position believe that men understand lationship. There have been many obser-men better than they do women and that a vations and suggestions that same-sex similar correspondence holds for women pairing, particularly with females, is desir-because biological gender defines similarity able in counseling in order to provide the in personality and experiences.. Recent results of research investigating This article is based on the author's doctoral disser-sex pairing in the counseling relationship, tation completed at the University of Rochester under however, are inconsistent. Whereas several the direction of Gerald A. Gladstein. Appreciation and studies have indicated that same-sex pairing gratitude are expressed to Gerald A. Gladstein and to ; nf , rpfl( ,po Wph of pmnathv offprpd hv Howard Iker and Susan Whitbourne for their assistance mcreases iev elS 01 empatny Oliered Dy as dissertation committee members.counselors to clients (Daane & bchmidt, The author also wishes to thank T. Th...

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A total of 291 males and 246 females viewed a videotape of a client of the same sex with either a vocational or personal social problem, counseled by either a masculine or feminine, male or female counselor. Three times during the videotape the subjects predicted the client's next response by selecting one of four affective self-reference statements. At the conclusion of the videotapes the subjects rated the counselors using the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory and the Counselor Rating Form. The results indicated significant main effects and interactions of counselor sex and sex role and client sex and presenting problem for the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory, the Counselor Rating Form, and subject affective self-references. Implications for counseling practice are suggested and recommendations for future research are made.

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