The purpose of this study was to examine the counseling process within the exploration stage of Hill and O'Brien's (1999) 3-stage helping skills model. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel chi-square analyses revealed that: (1) therapists did not use significantly different response modes in response to client narrative process modes; (2) when therapists asked an open question about feelings or reflect feelings, clients were more likely to respond with the internal narrative processing code; and (3) there were no significant associations between therapist response mode and client shift or maintenance of narrative process modes. In addition the hypotheses that (1) client helpfulness ratings can be predicted by client narrative response mode in the previous turn and therapist predominant verbal response mode in that turn, and (2) that client helpfulness ratings can be predicted by client narrative response mode in the previous turn and therapist predominant verbal response mode in that turn were not supported
