Ace the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Exam 2026 – Conquer Your Counseling Career with Confidence!

The focus of Psychological Attending in counseling is primarily on concentrating mentally on the client's message. This concept emphasizes the importance of active listening and being fully present during the counseling session. When a counselor practices psychological attending, they engage attentively with what the client is sharing, not just verbally but also emotionally and non-verbally. This deep level of engagement allows the counselor to understand the client’s thoughts and feelings better, helping to create a strong therapeutic alliance.

Maintaining eye contact certainly plays a role in demonstrating attentiveness, but it is just one aspect of the overall presence required for effective psychological attending. Monitoring the counselor's emotions is also important in counseling but is not the focus of psychological attending itself. Taking detailed notes can aid in tracking progress and details of the session, but it can detract from the immediate focus on the client's narrative. Therefore, concentrating mentally on the client's message is the most accurate description of psychological attending in the context of counseling.