se decisions, but there is no focus on changing either the person or the environment. This is an active modality in which the emphasis is on overt behavior, and in which the counselor gives explicit direction to the client. This is in direct contrast to client-centered therapy, which is exceedingly passive, introspective, and non-directive, but it is quite similar to behavioral counseling. Some of the techniques often employed in trait-factor counseling are formal and informal interviews, objective tests, group counseling, role-playing, homework assignments, field trips, and making prioritized but uncensored lists of problems and possible solutions (George & Cristiani, 1990).
Another striking difference between trait-factor counseling and Rogerian techniques, is that the emphasis is entirely on the cognitive aspects of practical problem-solving rather than on the emotional aspects of some vaguely-defined discomfort. Information, not insight, is valued, although "self-understanding" is cultivated and a good rapport between client and counselor is necessary for a successful outcome (Ivey & Downing, 1980). Trait-factor theory assumes that emotional problems like anxiety are caused by lack of information, confusion, and the inability to make a decision. Thus, if a person is taught the sk
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