The document discusses Carl Rogers and the client-centered approach to counseling. Some key points include:
- Carl Rogers founded client-centered therapy in the 1940s and emphasized unconditional positive regard and allowing the client to lead the conversation.
- Three qualities essential for client-centered therapists are unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and empathetic understanding.
- The goals of person-centered therapy are helping clients develop openness, trust in themselves, an internal evaluation process, and a willingness to grow.
1. Dr Neeta Gupta
Associate Professor
Department of psychology
Certified Practitioner of EFT &
REBT (London) & CBT (Scotland)
DAV PG College
Dehradun
Client-Centered Approach of Counselling
2. Carl Rogers in the early 1940s. founded
client-centered therapy, and he is considered
as the godfather of what are now known as
“humanistic” therapies, While many psychologists
contributed to the movement, Carl Rogers
spearheaded the evolution of therapy with his
unique approach. Person-centred therapy, also
known as person-centred or client-centred
counselling, is a humanistic approach that
deals with the ways in which individuals
perceive themselves consciously, rather
than how a counsellor can interpret their
unconscious thoughts or ideas.
3. He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is
enlightened.”
(Lao Tzu)
client-centered therapy is a non-directive form of talk therapy, meaning that it allows the
client to lead the conversation and does not attempt to steer the client in any way. This
approach rests on one vital quality: unconditional positive regard. This means that the
therapist refrains from judging the client for any reason, providing complete acceptance and
support.
Three key qualities essential for a good
client-centered therapist:
1.Unconditional Positive Regard: The therapist
needs to accept the client for who they are and
provide support and care no matter what they
are going through.
4. 2.Genuineness: a client-centered therapist
needs to feel comfortable sharing his or
her feelings with the client. Not only will
this contribute to a healthy and open
relationship between the therapist and
client, but it also provides the client with
a model of good communication and shows
the client that it’s okay to be vulnerable.
3.Empathetic Understanding: the client-centered therapist must
extend empathy to the client, both to form a positive therapeutic
relationship and to act as a sort of mirror, reflecting the client’s thoughts
and feelings back to them
Another notable characteristic of person- or client-centered therapy is
the use of the term “client” rather than “patient.”
5. A person-centred approach is where the person is placed at the centre of the service and
treated as a person first. The focus is on the person and what they can do, not their
condition or disability. Support should focus on achieving the person's aspirations and be
tailored to their needs and unique circumstances.
Therapeutic goals of person centred therapy:
(1) an openness to experience,
(2) a trust in themselves,
(3) an internal source of evaluation, and
(4) a willingness to continue growing.
Encouraging these characteristics is the
basic goal of person- centred therapy
6. The key principles of person-centred care are:
1.Valuing people
Treating people with dignity and respect by being aware of and supporting
personal perspectives, values, beliefs and preferences. Listening to each other
and working in partnership to design and deliver services.
2.Autonomy
The provision of choice and subsequent
respect for choices made. Balancing rights,
risks and responsibilities. Optimising a
person’s control through the sharing of
power and decision-making. Maximising
independence by building on individual
strengths, interest and abilities.
7. 3.Life experience
Supporting the sense of self by understanding the importance of a person’s past, their
present-day experience, and their hopes for the future.
4.Understanding relationships
Collaborative relationships between the service provider and service user and their carers
and between staffing levels. Social connectedness through the local community through
opportunities to engage in meaningful activities.
5.Environment
Organisational values underpinned by person-centred
principles. Responsive support that is responsive to
individual needs. A planned, organisation-wide effort
to individual and organisational learning.
8. Conditions for Success of Client Centred Therapy:
Rogers identified six conditions that are required for success in client-centred
therapy:
1.The client and counsellor are in psychological contact (a relationship).
2.The client is emotionally upset, in a state of incongruence.
3.The counsellor is genuine and aware of their own feelings.
4.The counsellor has unconditional positive regard for the client.
5.The counsellor has an empathic understanding of the client and their internal
frame of reference and looks to communicate this experience with the client.
6.The client recognizes that the counsellor has unconditional positive regard for
them and an understanding of the difficulties they are facing (Noel, 2018).
9. Tips/Techniques of CCT:
Saul McLeod (2015) outlines 10 of these “techniques” for Simply Psychology:
1) Set clear boundaries
Boundaries are vital for any relationship, but they are especially important for therapeutic
relationships. Both the therapist and the client need healthy boundaries to avoid the
relationship becoming inappropriate or ineffective, such as ruling out certain topics of
discussion.
There are also more practical boundaries that must be set, for example, how long the
session will last.
2) Remember – the client knows best
As mentioned earlier, this therapy is founded on the
idea that clients know themselves, and are the best
sources of knowledge and insight about their problems
and potential solutions. Do not lead the client or tell them
what is wrong, instead let them tell you what is wrong.
10. 3) Act as a sounding board
Active listening is key, but it’s also useful to reflect what the client is saying back
to them. Try to put what they are telling you into your own words. This can help
the client clarify their own thoughts and understand their feelings better.
4) Don’t be judgmental
Another vital component of client-centered
therapy is to refrain from judgment. Clients
are often already struggling with feelings of
guilt, low self-worth, and the belief that they
are simply not good enough. Let them know
you accept them for who they are and that you will not reject them.
11. 5) Don’t make decisions for your clients
Only the client should be able to make decisions for themselves, and they have full
responsibility in that respect.
The therapist’s job is to help clients explore the outcomes of their decisions rather than guide
them to any particular decisions.
6) Concentrate on what they are really saying
Sometimes a client will feel uncomfortable opening up
at first, or they will have trouble seeing something just
below the surface. In these situations, be sure to listen
carefully and keep an open mind – the problem they
come in with may not be the real problem.
12. 7) Be genuine
If the client does not feel their therapist is authentic and genuine, the client will
not trust you. In order for the client to share personal details about their own
thoughts and feelings, they must feel safe and comfortable with you.
Present yourself as you really are, and share both facts and feelings with the
client.
8) Accept negative emotions
This is an important technique for any therapist.
To help the client work through their issues and
heal, it is vital to let them express their emotions –
whether positive or negative. The client may even
express anger, disappointment, or irritation with
you at one point or another.
Learn to accept their negative emotions and practice not taking it personally.
13. 9) How you speak can be more important than what you say
Your tone of voice can have a huge impact on what the client hears,
understands, and applies. Make sure your tone is measured, and make sure it
matches your non-judgmental and empathetic approach.
10) I may not be the best person to help
There is no shame in recognizing that the scope of a
specific problem or the type of personality you are
working with is out of your wheelhouse. In those cases,
don’t beat yourself up about it – just be honest and
provide any resources you can to help further the
client’s healing and development.
14. Benefits Of CCT include:
•Greater agreement between the client’s idea and actual selves
•Better understanding and awareness
•Decreased defensiveness, insecurity,
and guilt
•Greater trust in oneself
•Healthier relationships
•Improvement in self-expression
•Improved mental health overall
(Noel, 2018)
15. Limitations:
• Requires client to be motivated.
•May not be motivated if they are depressed.
•Requires the client to be able to communicate.
•Requires good communication skills on the
part of the client.
•Some clients may be frightened
about talking.
•Client may expect advice.
•They may not feel they are
being helped.
16. How do you implement person Centred care?
Person-centred practice is a natural part of our day-to-day work
1.smile and introduce ourselves.
2.wear a name tag that people can see and read.
3.explain your role to the patient.
4.ask the patient how they are feeling today - both physically and emotionally.
5.see the patient as a person who has a life outside hospital.
