Comparing decision counseling to strategic counseling for individuals with personal dilemmas

The study developed and compared two brief counseling protocols for clients with personal dilemmas: (a) decision counseling, based on Janis and Mann's decisional conflict model and focusing on optimizing clients' ability to weigh decisional alternatives systematically, and (b) strategic counseling, based on systematic and strategic therapy and focusing on overcoming paralysis by activities that counter problem-maintaining processes. Individuals reporting personal dilemmas (N = 89) were randomly assigned to one of the protocols or to a wait-list control condition. Both protocols produced significant improvement in dilemma and mental health scores compared with the wait-list control condition, and improvement was maintained at 1-month follow-up. Counseling method interacted with indecisiveness and decision-making style in affecting improvement in mental health.