Resonance Ability of the Counsellor
If, in the counselling process, so much depends upon the counsellor paying attention to signals which enable him to form hypotheses about the psychodynamics of clients, then the most important of his abilities is his capacity to resonate with the client. Resonance develops on the embodiment level (“I get tired as soon as he starts talking!”), on the affective level (“I feel insecure at the sound of his voice!”), on the cognitive level (“I cannot find a central theme in his reports!”), on the perception level (“I feel veiled and clouded.”), through induction of images (“It is as if I were wrapped in cotton wool!”), through the stimulation of memories (“This is just like when my uncle …!”), by action impulses (“Most of all I would like to take a book and start reading”) and more besides. Basically, every small change in the counsellor’s inner experience has a possible resonance effect on the client. It is obvious that this ability cannot be acquired quickly. Without resonance, however, all interventions without relationship and dialogue are left hanging in the air.