The interpersonal relationship effectively becomes the most important 'technique' for successful treatment. However, this relationship requires a strong bond of trust between the counselor and client, evidenced by mutual authenticity, non-judgmental regard and shared optimism between both.
As Rogers explained, "When functioning best, the therapist is so much inside the private world of the other that he or she can clarify not only the meanings of which the client is aware but even those just below the level of awareness.
The counselor will not judge or psychoanalyze conversations but may restate clients' words to facilitate a deeper understanding. This paraphrasing may occur throughout the session, with some long moments of silence while the counselor processes the client's words, thoughts and feelings.
Counselors' expectations are more diverse. They include understanding that clients are the ones who know best what is wrong. Person-centered therapists function best as non-judgmental sounding boards helping to clarify clients' points of view, feelings and choices going forward. Offering advice is not recommended, but some clients may need encouragement to find their own solutions and may need help exploring the potential consequences of their decisions. Additionally, although counselors try carefully to control their tone of voice, some clients may express aggression or other negative emotions that may be challenging to address and work through.
Boundaries must be set and respected, and abuse of any type should never be a facet of the counselor-client relationship. Finally, it's just as important for counselors to know themselves as it is to know their clients. Sometimes a counselor-client relationship doesn't work. If you're an aspiring social worker or counselor with a passion to help individuals, families or communities build lasting social change, consider how an online Master of Social Work MSW from Yeshiva University can give you the critical knowledge and training to meet your needs and fulfill your potential.
With a variety of specializations and a CSWE-accredited curriculum infused with ethics, tolerance and cultural receptivity, our online MSW program will boost your earning potential, broaden your social impact and help turn your passion into a successful professional practice. New York: McGraw Hill. On Becoming a person: A psychotherapists view of psychotherapy.
Houghton Mifflin. Empathic: An unappreciated way of being. The counseling psychologist, 5 2 , Person-Centered Review , 1 3 , Toggle navigation. Note : Person centered therapy is also called client centered therapy.
Client-centered therapy operates according to three basic principles that reflect the attitude of the therapist to the client: The therapist is congruent with the client. The therapist provides the client with unconditional positive regard. The therapist shows an empathetic understanding to the client.
Set clear boundaries. For example, when and how long you want the session to last. You may also want to rule out certain topics of conversation. The client knows best. Act as a sounding board. They may need to feel reassured that they will be accepted for the person that they are and not face rejection or disapproval. Remember advice is a dangerous gift. Also, some clients will not want to take responsibility for making their own decisions. They may need to be reminded that nobody else can or should be allowed to choose for them.
Of course you can still help them explore the consequences of the options open to them. Concentrate on what they are really saying.
Sometimes this will not be clear at the outset. Listen carefully — the problem you are initially presented with may not be the real problem at all. Be genuine. If you simply present yourself in your official role the client is unlikely to want to reveal personal details about themselves. By creating a climate of unconditional positive regard, your therapist may help you feel able to express your true emotions without fear of rejection.
This is often an affirming experience, and it may set the stage for you to make positive changes. Your therapist will also practice empathy during sessions, acting as a mirror of your feelings and thoughts. They will seek to understand you and maintain an awareness and sensitivity to your experience and your point of view. The goal is to help you build a rapport with your therapist and ensure that you feel fully understood.
This may provide you with the environment you need to reflect on your own inner thoughts, perceptions, and emotions, which may offer unique insights you didn't have access to previously. Client-centered therapy may help people who are experiencing:. Client-centered therapy may improve self-concept, which is your organized set of beliefs and ideas about yourself. Self-concept plays an important role in determining not only how people see themselves, but also how they view and interact with the world around them.
Sometimes, self-concept is congruent with reality. In other cases, self-perceptions are unrealistic or not in tune with what exists in the real world. While most people distort reality to at least a small degree, when self-concept is in conflict with reality, incongruence can result. For example, imagine a young woman who views herself as uninteresting and a poor conversationalist despite the fact that other people find her fascinating and quite engaging.
Because her self-perceptions are not congruent with reality, she may experience poor self-esteem. Through the process of client-centered therapy, you can learn to adjust your self-concept in order to achieve congruence.
The techniques used in the client-centered approach are all focused on helping you reach a more realistic view of yourself and the world. Several studies have shown that the techniques used in client-centered therapy are beneficial. It's not clear if these factors alone are enough to promote lasting change in clients. Outcomes for clients may also depend on their perception of their therapist—if they don't see their therapist as empathetic, for instance, they may not experience positive results from treatment.
For client-centered therapy to be effective, you need to be willing to share your internal experiences with your therapist without their direct guidance or advice. You will act as an equal partner during therapy, often determining the course of your sessions though your therapist may also ask questions or seek clarification.
While client-centered therapy can help you gain the self-efficacy needed to feel comfortable leading the conversation, this may not be the ideal approach for everyone. Some people may find they prefer therapists who are more directive. The relationship you and your therapist establish is also an important part of this form of therapy.
If you don't feel understood by your therapist or don't feel safe and supported enough to share your thoughts openly, it will be more difficult to make progress. Client-centered therapy can be delivered individually or as part of group therapy in both outpatient and inpatient settings. If you're looking for a therapist near you, you can ask your primary healthcare provider for recommendations. During your first session , your therapist will ask about the problems you're facing and your reasons for seeking treatment.
They may also go over how the therapy process works and answer any questions you may have, including those about billing and health insurance. This approach assumes that the past issue is impeding the individual's ability to deal with the present. For a person to effectively cope with and overcome current obstacles, they must be given a forum in which to express past pains. When expressing past hurts, it can be particularly helpful to talk to someone who is not a family member, a friend, or even a member of the clergy.
It's not always easy to talk openly with those who know us best because they may not be able to listen to past pain with an open mind as a therapist can. Listening is a crucial part of client-centered therapy. With this approach, clients who have sought therapy before are often surprised and maybe even be a bit put off by the fact that the therapist does not ask questions unless they're seeking clarification or mirroring what the client has stated [5].
The client-centered therapist doesn't instruct or suggest either. Instead, the client-centered therapist believes that the power of therapy stems from the client forming their insights and making their own decisions based on those insights [4].
With this in mind, the goal of client-centered therapy might remind you of the adage about teaching someone to fish instead of giving them fish. Client-centered therapy draws upon Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
According to Maslow, individuals are constantly seeking self-actualization — a state where an individual achieves recognition of and comfort with who they are. This does not mean achieving all that can be achieved. For a person to achieve self-actualization, Maslow theorized that lower-tier needs had to be met first. First-tier needs include physical needs, such as nutrition, sleep, and biological needs. The second tier needs revolve around safety and include having adequate housing, clothing, and comfort.
The fourth and final tier before achieving a level of self-actualization is that of esteem and self-worth. Rogers believed that an individual would find themselves in crisis if they did not have their basic needs met. However, if higher tier needs like belonging were met even though lower tier needs were not, recovery was possible.
Source: flickr. Client-centered therapy works best for clients who can communicate, remain in the present, and put the past into perspective. Individuals who experience hallucinations, delusions, or other breaks with reality are usually not good candidates for client-centered therapy [3]. This is not because the therapy itself won't work, but because the client needs to be in touch with reality to reap the benefits of this approach. Few therapists advertise that they practice client-centered therapy, so it's up to the client to speak with their therapist in advance and express an interest in this particular method.
The purpose of going to therapy is not always about getting better. Sometimes, it's about accepting who and where we are in life [3].
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