Abstract

This study used van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological approach to examine the essence of client resistance perceived by novice counselors. The novice counselors interviewed for the study were master’s students or higher with training experience who were currently conducting counseling more than once a week. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 novice counselors who perceived client resistance within 6 months. The essence was “A world I was not willing to enter and stay”, “A professional self under pressure”, “A three-legged race with poor teamwork”, “A hint in the problem”, “A fallen place as a stepping stone for growth”. The essence of client resistance perceived by novice counselors was the client’s subjective world that the counselors did not understand, counseling focused on the goal of counseling rather than understanding the client, and a weakened belief in partnership. Beyond that, it was a signal for the client to inform the counselors, as well as a stepping stone for the client’s growth and the counselors’ learning. This study can help to facilitate discussion about novice counselors’ attitudes in the face of perceived client resistance, and can be used as basic data for novice counselor education and development.