Clinical practice: Treating the non-voluntary client

This paper examines differences between the processes of treating non-voluntary and voluntary clients. It suggests that differences exist in three areas: defining the presenting problem, challenging resistance, and the relationship between the practitioner and the client. Six guidelines for treating non-voluntary clients are suggested: (1) the presenting problem should be the focus of the treatment; (2) legal power should be used to increase the likelihood of correcting the presenting problem, but not for any other purpose; (3) various interventions should be used only if they relate directly to the resolution of the presenting problem; (4) the relationship between the client and the counselor should be functional; trust and honesty should not be focused on; (5) the practitioner should explain to the client what to expect in the treatment and what its specific attributes are; and (6) any issues not directly related to the presenting problem should be treated only after the problem has been corrected.