Consultation differs from counseling in that which statement is true?

• A. the consultant provides indirect service to the consultee and the client.
• B. None of the above.
• C. the consultant provides direct service to the client and consultee.
• D. the consultant provides direct service to the consultee in and indirect service to the client.

Answer: (D)

In consultation, the emphasis is on enhancing the consultee’s ability to work with clients, so the consultant delivers direct support to the consultee—through guidance, collaboration, feedback, and modeling—while the client is helped indirectly as the consultee applies those skills. This is why the true statement is that the consultant provides direct service to the consultee and indirect service to the client. For example, a consultant might coach a teacher on behavior management techniques; the consultant works with the teacher directly, and students benefit when the teacher implements those strategies.

The other descriptions don’t fit the typical consultation model. Providing direct service to the client would resemble counseling or therapy, where the practitioner works directly with the client. Indirect service to both is not the standard pattern—consultation centers the direct work on the consultee and leverages that to help the client.