Outcome effectiveness in counseling: The role of nonverbal immediacy behaviors and the therapeutic relationship

The achievement in counseling of client outcome goals has typically been referred to as outcome effectiveness (Miller & Duncan, 2004; Lambert & Hill, 1994). Two theoretical frameworks have been highly supported as viable explanations for the way in which counselors achieve outcome effectiveness (i.e., Empirically-Validated Treatment and Common Factors Theory), but neither framework has gained full support as a comprehensive explanation of outcome effectiveness. One component of outcome effectiveness that is common between both frameworks is the therapeutic relationship; nonverbal immediacy behaviors are theoretically supported as potential contributors to the therapeutic relationship. In this study, it was found that therapeutic relationship increased from session one to session three, but nonverbal immediacy behaviors did not change across sessions. Nonverbal immediacy behaviors did not predict therapeutic relationship, but therapeutic relationship was found to be a significant predictor of outcome effectiveness. Implications of these results and areas for future research are discussed.