Abstract
In light of Halliday and Hasan’s theory of Generic Structure Potential (1985), the present study examines the structures and functions of the opening section in telephone psychological counseling. Analysis of actual data shows that the opening section involves the following specific units: (1) greeting; (2) identification and confirmation of the institutional identity; (3) elicitation and identification of personal identities; (4) seeking and giving of information concerning the counseling service; (5) channel checking; (6) description of the calling process and related feelings; (7) introduction of the counseling topic. Units (1), (2), and (7) can be considered “obligatory” whereas the rest “optional,” yet their actual difference is gradational rather than categorical. The various items in the opening section serve a general purpose: establishing client-counselor rapport.
| Keywords: | Generic Structure Potential; telephone counseling; conversation opening |
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