Since the beginning of the counseling profession, there have been calls for counselors to support their effectiveness with clients in various counseling settings. Research methods that emphasize the individual do exist; however, professional counselors are reluctant to document their work through research. Single-subject research design methods help counselors report their client work and show effectiveness of counseling. More importantly, single-subject research provides counselors with a scientific method of inquiry to examine counseling techniques and ultimately help their clients.
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