This study examined whether counsellors' memory of client-presented information varies qualitatively according to the number of years of counselling experience. This study developed a methodology to measure the amount of counsellors' recall memory obtained from a free recall task after watching videotaped stimulus interviews. Pour experienced counsellors, seven novice counsellors, and 12 non-counsellors watched videotaped stimulus interviews and then wrote freely everything they could recall about what the client had said in the interview Participants' performance was measured using interview transcripts. Independent coders judged the parts of the transcript to which the recalled items corresponded. The results indicated that the experienced counsellor group scored the highest in recalling client-presented information and that recalled contents differed among the participant groups. Implications of the results for the steps to gain counsellor expertise were discussed.

Key words: counsellor, expertise, memory, interpersonal perception