In the Reciprocal Interactional or Mediating Model, how are goals developed?

• A. Imposed by counselor
• B. Set by external agency
• C. Mutually through contracting process
• D. Not specified

Answer: (C)

In this model, goals come from a collaborative process between client and counselor. They engage in dialogue to surface needs, values, and readiness, and then formalize a plan through a contracting process. This contract spells out the goals, who will do what, timelines, and how progress will be measured. The idea is that change is facilitated by the ongoing mutual interaction, with the goals reflecting the client’s context and resources, not something imposed from outside. By negotiating and agreeing on goals, the client is more motivated and accountable, and the counselor–client relationship mediates progress.

Imposing goals from the counselor, letting an external agency set them, or leaving goals unspecified don’t fit this approach because they bypass the collaborative, negotiated nature of goal setting that the model emphasizes.