Which counseling skill involves identifying specific feelings and clarifying general statements?

The correct answer is focused on the concept of concreteness. This counseling skill is essential for helping clients articulate their experiences more clearly by breaking down vague or general statements into specific thoughts and feelings. By identifying and clarifying these emotions, the counselor enables the client to gain a better understanding of their situation and encourages deeper self-exploration.

Using concreteness involves asking specific questions that prompt clients to elaborate on their feelings and experiences. This process can guide them away from abstract or generalized expressions, leading to a more profound engagement with their feelings and thoughts. By distilling their experiences into clear, tangible concepts, clients may be better equipped to address their issues and work toward solutions.

Other counseling skills, while valuable, serve different purposes. Empathy, for instance, centers around understanding and sharing in the feelings of the client, but does not necessarily focus on differentiating between those feelings. Self-disclosure involves the counselor sharing personal experiences to facilitate connection, which does not directly address the identification and clarification of a client's feelings. Probing refers to asking additional questions to gather more information; while it can aid in understanding, it does not specifically emphasize the need to clarify vague statements.