Immediacy is the ability of the counsellor/helper to use the immediate situation to invite the client to look at what is going on between them in the relationship. It often feels risky and unfamiliar. It implies the use of the present tense. It is one of the most powerful skills in counselling.
In its fullest use, immediacy involves:
• revealing how you are feeling/thinking/sensing;
• sharing a hunch or sense of what the client (or helpee) may be feeling/thinking/sensing here and now (and possibly linking this to the client’s issue);
• inviting the client/helpee to explore what is going on between you.
