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Concreteness is the ability not only to see the incomplete picture that clients paint with their words but also to communicate to clients the figures, images, and structures that will complete the picture. In the process of exploring problems or issues, clients often present a somewhat distorted view of the actual situation. Concreteness enables the counselor or therapist to help clients identify the distortions in the situation and fit them together in such a way that clients are able to view the situation in a more realistic fashion. The concreteness helps clients clarify vague issues, focus on specific topics, reduce degrees of ambiguity, and channel their energies into more productive avenues of problem resolution.

Personal characteristics and behaviors that enhance a counselor’s or therapist’s ability to provide degrees of concreteness include, but are not limited to, the following:

 The capacity for abstract thinking and the ability to read between the lines

 The willingness to risk being incorrect as one attempts to fill in the empty spaces

 The belief in one’s own competence in analyzing and sorting through the truths and partial truths in clients’ statements

 The ability to be objective while working with clients in arriving at the reality of their situations