Which type of questioning asks for general information, cannot be answered with a yes or no, and is often used at the start of a counseling session to help put the client at ease?

Which type of questioning asks for general information, cannot be answered with a yes or no, and is often used at the start of a counseling session to help put the client at ease?

• A. Open questioning
• B. Closed questions
• C. Proxemics
• D. Personal Space Distances in the US

Answer: (A)

Open-ended questions invite the client to share thoughts and feelings in their own words and require more than a simple yes or no answer. They’re especially useful at the start of a counseling session because they signal curiosity, reduce defensiveness, and help the client ease into talking about what’s brought them in. By asking things like “What brings you here today?” or “Can you tell me more about how you’ve been feeling lately?” the therapist encourages a broad, descriptive response, which helps establish rapport and gather rich context for understanding the client’s situation, concerns, and goals. Closed questions, in contrast, tend to elicit brief answers and can feel like an interrogation, which can limit exploration and rapport. Proxemics and Personal Space Distances in the US refer to spatial relationships and how distance communicates, and are not questioning techniques.

Open-ended questions invite the client to share thoughts and feelings in their own words and require more than a simple yes or no answer. They’re especially useful at the start of a counseling session because they signal curiosity, reduce defensiveness, and help the client ease into talking about what’s brought them in. By asking things like “What brings you here today?” or “Can you tell me more about how you’ve been feeling lately?” the therapist encourages a broad, descriptive response, which helps establish rapport and gather rich context for understanding the client’s situation, concerns, and goals.

Closed questions, in contrast, tend to elicit brief answers and can feel like an interrogation, which can limit exploration and rapport. Proxemics and Personal Space Distances in the US refer to spatial relationships and how distance communicates, and are not questioning techniques.