Ace the Alcohol and Drug Counselor Exam 2025 – Conquer Your Counseling Career with Confidence!

The primary goal of the engagement phase in counseling is to build rapport to facilitate client cooperation. Establishing a strong therapeutic relationship is essential for effective counseling, as it creates a safe and supportive environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their concerns and experiences. This rapport fosters trust, encourages open communication, and lays the groundwork for successful collaboration throughout the counseling process. When clients feel understood and respected, they are more likely to engage fully in their treatment, making it easier to address their needs and work toward their goals.

The other options, while important in their own right, do not capture the essential purpose of the engagement phase. Ensuring payment, conducting assessments, and directing clients to resources are tasks that may occur later in the counseling process or as part of overall service provision, but they do not focus primarily on building the necessary trust and relationship that is crucial at the outset of counseling.