Chapter Sevenperson-Centered Therapy

EPSY 6363 -- Counseling TheoriesD. Scott Sparrow

Chapter Sevenperson-Centered Therapy

EPSY 6363 -- Counseling TheoriesD. Scott Sparrow

Existentialism and Humanism

•Existentialism’s Problem: Essence before existence, or existence before essence?

•Humanism’s concept of the essential good in all people

•By assuming an existential attitude, but also embracing the idea of an essentially good human nature, a therapist can be an existential-humanistic therapist

•By adding to that the idea of an actualizing urge, then the existential-humanistic model becomes purposeful and end-driven.

•Carl Rogers’s theory emerges from such a synthesis.

Roger’s Theory

•People are essentially trustworthy, can understand themselves, and can solve their own problems.

•Techniques are unnecessary

•A particular type of therapeutic relationship fosters a person’s capacity to heal

Three Phases of Roger’s Development

•1940s-1950s -- Nondirective counseling, focused on feelings of client without interventions. Therapist very unrevealing.

•1950s-late 50s -- Client-centered counseling, focused on world of client and the actualizing tendency.

•Late 50s-1970s -- Necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change, and dimensions of becoming one’s experience.

•1980s-90s -- Expansion into other fields

Three Phases of Roger’s Development, continued•The gradual shift in Roger’s focus

involved:

•Shift toward understanding subjective world of client, rather than leaving everything up to the client.

•shift from passive role of therapist toward more active engagement as research and theory clarified the qualities of an effective therapist.

View of Human Nature and Role of Therapist

•If people are

•basically trustworthy,

•able to heal themselves, and

•driven by an actualizing urge... then the role of the therapist is to create the right relationship context to foster self-healing.

View of Human Nature and Role of Therapist

•The necessary and sufficient qualities to promote development and healing are:

•congruence or genuineness

•unconditional positive regard

•accurate empathy

Goals of therapy

•Not to solve problems, but to assist in growth process

•To foster

•openness to experience

•self trust

•internal source of validation

•willingness to continue growing

Role of the therapist•Not to

•interpret or to diagnose

•conduct lengthy history

•evaluate client’s goals or plans

•make decisions about the therapy

•Attitude is more important than knowledge.

•Being real or authentic is paramount

Client’s Initial Experience in Therapy

•incongruence -- difference between self and ideal

•helplessness and powerlessness

•inability to make decisions

•feeling of lack of freedom

Client’s response toclient-centered therapy

•Clients begin

• to feel understood

• to experience a wider range of feelings

•Out of this supportive environment emerges:

• Increased sense of freedom

• Self empowerment, not as dependent on others.

• Truer to self

•More self-actualized

Quality of therapeutic relationship

•The relationship is conceived of as one between equals, and is a shared journey

•The conditions that promote change

•Congruence

•Unc. Positive Regard, or love

•Accurate empathic understanding

Evolution of Theory and Practice

•Therapist congruence makes possible a wide variety of authentic interventions that are consistent with therapist’s authentic stance.

•Assessment has become more important with advent of short-term therapy (case managed care), but assessment is still done with client oversight.

Areas of Special Applicability

•Crisis

•Grief

•Loss

•Other emergent emotional states that the client hasn’t had time to process adequately

•Whenever it is especially important to “stay with” the client, rather than to move toward problem solving.

Contributions•Research, although not always done

with adequate rigor

•Emphasis on empathy as curative force

•Challenge to other theories that focus on techniques to consider the necessary and sufficient conditions outlined by Rogers.

•Extension of theory into other areas

Possible Weaknesses•Research not well designed

•Some diverse clients may not respond well to non-directive methods

•Some diverse clients may not respond well to therapist disclosures.

• It is not easy to allow clients to set their own course, especially when their choices do not agree with the therapist’s views. The therapist’s values can become a hidden agenda.