- Developed and validated the 23-item Counselling Session Benefits Scale (CSBS) to assess client gains after a single counselling session.
- Five-factor structure identified: emotional release, cognitive changes, increased coping skills, increased confidence and self-acceptance; EFA and CFA confirmed structure with acceptable internal consistency.
- Demonstrated validity with positive correlation to working alliance and measurement invariance across gender, medication, psychotherapy experience and time; needs Western validation.
Psychol Psychother. 2026 Jul 16. doi: 10.1111/papt.70085. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate the Counselling Session Benefits Scale (CSBS), a self-report measure for assessing counselling benefits.
METHOD: In Study 1, expert evaluation and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were conducted among university clients in China to establish content validity and factor structure. Besides, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and internal consistency were assessed. In Study 2, the scale’s factor structure, internal consistency, validity and measurement invariance were examined among clients in general hospitals in China.
RESULTS: The 23-item CSBS identified five factors: emotional release, cognitive changes, increase in coping skills, increase in confidence and self-acceptance. Both samples showed acceptable Cronbach’s α coefficients, and EFA/CFA confirmed the scale’s factor structure. Further, the CSBS correlated positively with working alliance and demonstrated measurement invariance across gender, medication use, psychotherapy experience and time.
CONCLUSION: The CSBS is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating client gains after a single counselling session in university and clinical settings. Research is needed to validate the CSBS in western countries using a representative sample.
PMID:42460547 | DOI:10.1111/papt.70085
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