During which phase of a counseling session would you primarily gather factual information?

The phase of a counseling session where you primarily gather factual information is the information gathering phase. During this stage, the counselor focuses on collecting relevant data about the client's financial situation, goals, and any challenges they are facing. This is crucial as it allows the counselor to have a comprehensive understanding of the client's circumstances, which forms the basis for effective guidance and recommendations.

The information gathering phase involves asking targeted questions and ensuring that the counselor has clarity on various aspects of the client’s finances, such as income, expenses, debts, and assets. This data collection is vital because it not only helps in assessing the current financial health of the client but also aids in identifying areas where the client may need support or improvement.

Other phases of the counseling session serve different purposes. The introduction phase typically involves establishing rapport and outlining what the client can expect during the session. The discussion phase revolves around dialogue between the counselor and the client, with the counselor beginning to synthesize the information collected into usable insights. The conclusion phase is focused on summarizing the session, reiterating key points, and outlining next steps, which occurs after the information has already been gathered. Thus, the information gathering phase is distinctively dedicated to collecting the factual data essential for the counseling process.