This study examined the relationship between conceptual level (CL) and therapeutic responsiveness (TR) among counselor trainees. It was hypothesized that trainees with high CL’s would be more able to formulate clinical impressions, be aware of their affective states, and make more effective verbal explorations to challenging and provocative client statements than their low CL counterparts. Additionally, it was hypothesized that empathy (EU) could be predicted from TR. Sixty-nine trainees from two master’s level counseling programs were assessed for CL (using the “This I Believe” Test) and for TR (using the Therapeutic Response Measure), and empathy (using the Emphathic Understanding Scale). Consistent with the literature the high CL participants functioned better as counselors on the TR task, although contrary to prediction, neither the high nor the low CL groups functioned well on this task. Significant differences between high CL and low CL’s were found for: awareness of affect p<.05; ability to respond effectively p<.01, and for overall TR, p<.001. Findings support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between CL and TR, and that TR is a predictor of empathic responding p<.05.