What are the three basic counseling skills?

• A. Empathy; Probing; Advising
• B. Clarifying; Reflecting; Paraphrasing
• C. Listening; Questioning; Feedback
• D. Active listening; Appropriate questioning; Responding

Answer: (D)

Three foundational counseling skills are active listening, appropriate questioning, and responding. Active listening means giving full attention, noticing both what’s said and what isn’t said, and reflecting back to show you understand the client’s feelings and meaning. Appropriate questioning involves inviting details and exploration with open-ended prompts, questions that clarify rather than steer, and avoiding premature advice. Responding covers how you react to the client’s content—providing valid, supportive feedback, summarizing what was shared, and validating feelings to guide the next steps.

This combination best fits how counselors engage: you listen deeply, ask questions that promote disclosure, and respond in a way that helps the client feel heard and move forward. The other options mix in techniques or outcomes that are either narrower in scope or missing one of these core elements.