The human relations counseling model emphasizes a client-centered helping relationship and the mutual identification of goals, objectives, and intervention strategies that can ultimately be evaluated through the client's observable behavioral change. The approach uses a variety of techniques and strategies, but the major vehicle for change is the development and maintenance of a warm, empathic relationship with the client. The counselor must learn when and how to use a battery of techniques and strategies with the same client in order to deal as fully as possible with the client's cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. The goals of counseling are to help the client become emotionally and cognitively aware of his/her responsibility and choices and translate this awareness into action. The helping relationship is the foundation of the helping process. As long as there is an effective helping relationship that communicates the helper's understanding, strength, and ability to give permission and protection to the client, flexibility to select, use, and even fail with different strategies is possible. The communications skills required in this counseling model are the abilities to hear verbal messages, perceive nonverbal messages, and respond to these messages verbally and nonverbally. A list of 10 references is provided.