When trying to communicate with clients, oftentimes there are barriers that prevent effective communication. Nonverbal barriers include facial expressions, posture, voice, and physical proximity to the client, while verbal barriers include inherently destructive verbal responses and counterproductive patterns of communication.

Counterproductive patterns of communication are barriers that prevent effective communication with clients, and they contain these sub-categories:

1. Inappropriate use of questions
2. Inappropriate or excessive interruption
3. Dominating interaction
4. Fostering social interaction with a client
5. Passive responding
6. Parroting and overuse of phrases or cliches
7. Dwelling on the remote past
8. Inappropriate use of self-disclosure

Asking clients questions can be beneficial to gather important information and to help them focus on discussing a specific subject. On the other hand, certain questions can be harmful to the treatment process. The counselor should stay away from asking questions that are badly timed and not clearly or coherently put together. There are three ways to question a client that should NOT be used:

1. Questions that are too broad and not specific enough -the counselor should only use close-ended questions with clients to gather factual information (not to hear clients' insights and thoughts on a matter)
2. Questions one right after another (also called stacking questions)
3. Leading questions that have concealed agendas or meanings