Negotiating the Language of Counseling: A Conversation Analysis of Initial Counseling Sessions

Abstract

Language, as a fundamental aspect of communication, plays a pivotal role in shaping the connection between counselor and client within counseling conversations. This study micro-analyzed counselor-client interactions, focusing on turn-taking mechanisms and structural organizations. Using CA as the primary framework, a qualitative approach was employed to analyze sixteen audio-recorded counseling sessions conducted in higher education institutions in Davao City, Philippines. Findings revealed that counselors primarily managed turn-taking through direct questioning, unfinished clauses, and explicit speaker selection. Transition relevance places were signaled by pauses, tag questions, and rising intonation, ensuring smooth speaker transitions. Various repair mechanisms, including self-initiated self-repair (expansion, repetition, hesitation, abort and abandon, abort and restart, and avoidance), other-initiated self-repair, self-initiated other-repair, and other-initiated other-repair, were employed to clarify miscommunications, correct speech errors, and maintain conversational coherence. Furthermore, counseling sessions followed a structured format comprising three main moves: the opening move, which involved relationship-building and social conversation; the topic development move, which addressed concerns such as anxiety and depression, academic stress, emotional crises, physical well-being, mental distress; and the termination move, includes assurance to help, encouragement, and support. Findings can be used to develop targeted training programs for counselors to improve conversational strategies in counseling. Policymakers can integrate linguistic insights to enhance mental health interventions. Future research should explore cross-cultural variations in counseling discourse, including non-verbal cues, by incorporating a more diverse participant pool.