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Objectives In this study, in order to clarify what the effect of counseling was on the client in the counseling setting, the effect of counseling was derived through interviews with the clients as the target. Methods An interview was conducted targeting 10 clients who were either in the middle of counseling or had already completed it. During the interview, the research question “Have there been any changes in your life as a result of counseling? If so, how have they changed?” was used. The interviewees' responses were recorded in writing and used as analysis material. Three counseling experts analyzed the data using Giorgi's (2004) four-step analysis method. Results As a result of the client's perception of the counseling, 5 categories, 17 subcategories, and 55 concepts were derived. Under the category of “Emotional Changes”, the subcategories of “Decrease in Negative Emotions”, “Experience of Positive Emotions”, “Feeling of Fullness”, “Being Present in the Moment during Counseling”, and “Existence in the Current Moment” were derived. Under the category of “Self-Acceptance”, the subcategories of “Self-Awareness”, “Self-Respect”, and “Healthy Self-Esteem” were identified. Under the category of “Changes in Thinking”, the subcategories of “Increased Flexibility in Thinking” and “Increased Insight” were derived. Under the category of “Faithfulness to Current Life”, the subcategories of “Pursuit of a Happy Life” and “Recovery of Daily Functioning” were identified. Finally, under the category of “Improved Interpersonal Relationships”, the subcategories of “Self-Understanding and Acceptance in Interpersonal Relationships”, “Self-Expression in Interpersonal Relationships”, “Experience of Intimacy”, “Improvement of Interpersonal Relationships”, and “Attempts at New Interpersonal Relationship Behaviors” were each derived. Conclusions The five categories of counseling effects experienced by the participants reflected the counseling and psychotherapy theories of the effects, and included both process outcomes and outcomes over time. Various studies analyzing the effects of counseling from the perspectives of diverse stakeholders and with diversified measurement timing have been proposed.