Use of profanity in the counseling interview

Although profane language is used in the counseling interview by both clients and counselors, past research has focused on the counselor's use of profanity without considering whether the counselor is matching the language of the client. This research examined 160 college students' impressions of an audiotape of a female counselor who used profanity with either a male or female client who did or did not use profanity. In general, when the female counselor swore she was less likely to be sought for help. Further research is recommended.