Action responses are a type of therapeutic response where the client's structured reference has more data and perceptions from the counselor. Timing is important in these responses, and they should be used once the client and the counselor have a firm and trustworthy relationship. Action responses are using questions only with a specific purpose in mind, using open-ended questions (beginning with either what, how, where, or who) to gain more information from the client, focusing with probes on the problems of the client, waiting a moment after questioning the client to give him/or her time to think and answer, limiting questions to one at a time, not using belligerent or blame-oriented questions, not using too many probes at one time (so that the client will feel at ease), using open-ended probes only at the start of the treatment, making sure that questions presented to the client are legitimate and therapeutic, and effectively using these questions to achieve your intended effect.

Sometimes the counselor must confront the client if his/or her messages are unclear or mixed. The purposes of confrontation are to help clients to understand the way that they see themselves, to reveal discrepancies, and to show them an important point. Before using confrontation, however, there must be a strong and trustworthy relationship between the counselor and the client. Even after the rapport is achieved, the counselor must present the confrontation in a timely manner that is an expressive and tangible thought, behavior, or feeling.