CLIENTCLIENT - - CENTERED CENTERED

THERAPYTHERAPY

CLIENTCLIENT - - CENTERED CENTERED

THERAPYTHERAPY

• CLIENT – CENTERED THERAPY BELONGS TO THE OF HUMANISTIC

THERAPIES. THIS THERAPY WAS PROPOUNDED BY CARL ROGERS

(1902-1987). IT FOCUSSES ON THE NATURAL POWER OF AN

ORGANISM TO HEAL ITSELF.

• ROGERS REJECTED BOTH- FREUD’S VIEW OF THE PRIMACY OF

IRRATIONAL INSTANT, AND THERAPISTS’ ROLE AS A PROBER,

INTERPRETER AND DIRECTOR OF THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS.

• ACCORDING TO CARL ROGERS, “ AS A PERSON LOSES TOUCH

WITH HIS OWN GENUINE EXPERIENCES, THE RESULT IS A

LOWERED INTEGRATION, IMPAIRED PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

AND VARIOUS FORMS OF MALADJUSTMENT.”

• PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF THIS THERAPY IS TO RESOLVE THIS

INCONGRUENCE AND TO HELP CLIENT TO ACCEPT HIS OWN SELF

AND BE HIMSELF.

• CLIENT- CENTERED THERAPIST ESTABLISHES A PSYCHOLOGICAL

ATMOSPHERE, IN WHICH A CLIENT FEELS UNCONDITIONALLY

ACCEPTED, UNDERSTOOD AND VALUED FOR WHAT HE IS.

• WITHIN THIS CONTEXT THE THERAPIST EMPLOYS NON-DIRECTIVE

TECHNIQUES, SO AS TO HELP THE CLIENT.

• IT IS ALSO CALLED “NON-DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING” BECAUSE OF

THE FACT THAT THE CLIENT , RATHER THAN THE THERAPIST, SETS

THE PACE AND DECIDES THE ISSUES AND GOALS OF THERAPY.

• THE TECHNIQUE FOCUSES ON ACCEPTING, RECOGNIZING AND

CLASSIFYING THE FEELINGS OF THE CLIENT.

• THIS THERAPY DOES NOT INCLUDE A SET OF TECHNIQUES;

RATHER, IT IS CONSIDERED A PROCESS, WHERE IF…THEN…

CONDITIONS PREVAIL. FOR EG. IF CORRECT CIRCUMSTANCES ARE

DEVELOPED BY THE THERAPIST, THEN THE CLIENT HIMSELF FINDS

WAYS TO CHANGE HIMSELF AND TO GROW.

• IN THIS THERAPY, THE CLIENT EMPHASIZES INTERPERSONAL

RELATIONSHIP,WHERE THE CLIENT HAS ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES

TO GROW AND DEVELOP.

BASIC POSTULATES OF CLIENT-CENTERD THERAPY

• THIS THERAPY BELIEVES IN PHENOMENOLOGICAL VIEWPOINT. THIS

MEANS THAT IF WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND A PERSON, WE MUST

UNDERSTAND HIS PERCEPTIONS, ATTITUDES AND FEELINGS.

• WE SHOULD NOT SOLELY FOCUS ON THE SITUATION ; RATHER,

HOW THE CLIENT PERCEIVES THE SITUATON SHOULD BE OUR

FOCUS,BECAUSE HIS PHENOMENOLOGICAL WORLD MAKES HIM A

UNIQUE PERSON. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HIS UNIQUENESS IN

ORDER TO SOLVE HIS PROBLEMS.

• A HEALTHY INDIVIDUAL IS ALWAYS AWARE OF HIS BEHAVIOR.

• EACH INDIVIDUAL IS GOOD, POSITIVE AND EFFECTIVE BY BIRTH.

• EACH INDIVIDUAL HAS AIMS AND GOALS IN HIS LIFE.

• THE THERAPIST SHOULD NEVER IMPOSE HIS IDEAS AND

THOUGHTS ON THE CLIENT;RATHER, HE SHOULD CREATE SUCH

SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES, WHEREIN THE CLIENT CAN

TAKE HIS OWN INDEPENDENT DECISIONS.

• THERAPIST SHOULD NEVER DO THE DIAGNOSIS OF THE

CLIENT,BECAUSE IT GIVES THE FEELING TO THE CLIENT THAT HE IS

INADEQUATE AND ILL, AND HE STARTS THINKING THAT HE NEEDS

HELP AND IS DEPENDENT ON THE THERAPIST. MOREOVER, BY

CONSIDERING HIM AS A PATIENT,THE THERAPIST DOESNOT DEAL

WIT HIM AS A UNIQUE PERSON,BUT AS IF HE BELONGS TO SOME

CLASS OF DSORDERS.

• MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE ON THE PRESENT, RATHER THAN

ON THE PAST.

GOALS OF CLIENT – CENTERED THERAPYGOALS OF CLIENT – CENTERED THERAPY

• THIS THERAPY FOCUSSES ON THE WHOLENESS AND

INTERATION OF THE CLIENT,SO THAT HE CAN DEVELOP A

NEW, HEALTHY PHENOMENOLOGY ABOUT HIMSELF.

• TO ATTAIN THIS GOAL, A FEW CHANGES ARE REQUIRED ON

THE PART OF THE CLIENT DURING THE THERAPY.

THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1.1. SELF-AWARENESS SELF-AWARENESS – CLIENT IS ENCOURAGED TO

RECOGNIZE HIS REAL FEELINGS AND IS ENCOURAGED TO

ACKNOWLEDGE THEM. HE IS ALSO MADE TO FOCUS ON

PRESENT EXPERIENCE; RATHER THAN THE SYMPTOMS OF HIS

PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN SEEN THAT THE CLIENTS USUALLY

DONOT PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR REAL FEELINGS AND

EMOTIONS, AND THATS’ WHY THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO

UNDERSTAND THEIR REAL SELVES. SO, THE FIRST STEP IN

THE THERAPY IS TO MAKE THE CLIENT AWARE OF HIS REAL

SELF.

2.2. SELF- ACCEPTANCE-SELF- ACCEPTANCE- AS THE PROCESS OF THERAPY

PROGRESSES, THE CLIENT STARTS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

FOR HIS FEELINGS AND BEHAVIOR ON HIS OWN, AND

STOPS ATTRIBUTING HIS UNFULFILLED DESIRES, BITTER

EXPERIENCES ON OTHERS. HE ALSO LEARNS NOT TO INDULGE

IN SELF-CRITICISM, AND STARTS SHOWING THE SIGNS OF

SELF ACCEPTANCE.

3.3. COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITYCOGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY – DURING THE PROCESS OF

THERAPY, THE CLIENT BRINGS CHANGES IN HIS COGNITIVE

PERCEPTION AND CONVERTSHIS COGNITIVE FIXEDNESS INTO

COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY. HE STOPS PERCEIVING HIS LIFE AND

HIS ENVIRONMENT OR SITUATIONS ACCORDING TO HIS D

IEWPOIPREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED RIGID VIEWPOINT. NOW, HE

SHOWS HIS BROAD MINDEDNESS AND STARTS ACCEPTING

THINGS , THE WAY THEY ARE.

4.4. INTERPERSONAL COMFORTINTERPERSONAL COMFORT – IT IS AN IMPORTANT

INGREDIENT OF THIS THERAPY TO CREATE A COMFORTABLE

ATMOSPHERE, WHERE THE THERAPIST ESTABLISHES POSITIVE

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CLIENT. THIS

ENCOURAGES THE CLIENT TO OPEN UP AND EXPRESS HIS

DEEPEST FEELINGS, WHICH INTURN IMPROVES THE

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIS OF THE CLIENT IN THE REAL

WORLD.

5.5. SELF-RELIANCESELF-RELIANCE – AS THE THERAY PROGRESSES, THE CLIENT

STOPS SHARING HIS DEPENDENCE ON OTERS. HE IS NO

LONGER AFFECTED BY EVALUATION OF OTHERS, BUT HE

DEVELOPS STRATEGIES TO EVALUATE HIMSELF AND

BECOMES MORE OBJECTIVE IN HIS EVALUATION. THIS BRINGS

A CHANGE IN HIS VALUING PROCESS.

6.6. FUNCTIONING LEVEL-FUNCTIONING LEVEL- CARL ROGERS CLAIMS THAT AS THE

THERAPY PROGRESSES, IMPORTANT CHANGES START

OCCURING IN THE CLIENTS’ PERCEPTION OF HIMSELF, HIS

SELF CONCEPT AND HIS PERCEPTION OF THE WORLD AROUND

HIM. WITH A MORE SECURE SELF-REGARD, HE IS READY TO

TRY NEW BEHAVIORS TO MOVE CLOSER TO BEING A FULLY

FUNCTIONING PERSON. AS THE CLIENT BECOMES MORE

MATURE , HE IS ABLE TO GIVE DIRECTION TO HIS DESIRES

AND WISHES, IS READY TO FACE THE REALITY, BECOMES

OBJECTIVE IN HIS EVALUATIONS AND SHOWS A BETTER

ADJUSTMENT WITH HIS ENVIRONMENT.

CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR AN EFFECTIVECONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR AN EFFECTIVE THERAPYTHERAPY

ROGER PLACES EMPHAIS ON THE ATTIUDE OF THE THERAPIST,

BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT THERE ARE SOME THNECESSARY

AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS WHICH ARE REQUIRED FOR

BRINGING POSITIVE THRAPEUTIC CHANGES.

THE PARTICULAR TECHNIQUE THAT THE THERAPIST USES, HIS

TRAINING , TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, ARE

ENTIRELY SECONDARY, COMPARED TO HIS BASIC QUALITIES

AS A THERAPIST.

• SUCCESS OF THE THERAPY DEPENDS UPON THE THERAPISTS’

COMUNICATION AND THE PATIENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE

FOLLOWING CONDITIONS:-

I. I. THERAPISTS’ CONGRUENCE/ GENUINENESSTHERAPISTS’ CONGRUENCE/ GENUINENESS

• CONGRUENCE OR GENUINENESS IS THE FIRST AND THE

PRIMARY REQUIREMENT, BECAUSE NOBODY CAN RESPECT

OTHERS OR BE EMPATHETIC UNLESS HE/SHE IS HIMSELF OPEN

TO EXPERIENCE, IS FREE OF FAÇADE AND SELF-DECEIT.

• THE THERAPIST SHOULD BE AWARE OF HIS IDES AND FEELINGS

AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THEM

OPENLY. THIS, HOWEVER, DOESNOT MEAN THAT THE

THERAPIST BURDENS THE CLIENT WITH HIS PESONAL

FEELINGS AT EVERY TURN, BUT HE SHOULD BE AWARE OF

THEM HIMSELF AND SHOULD BE WILLING AND ABLE TO SHARE

WHEN NECESSARY. THERAPY DEPENDS ON THE READINESS OF

THE CLIENT TO SHARE HIS DEEPEST FEELINGS, WHICH IS VERY

DIFFICULT AND MAY FURTHER BECOME DIFFICULT IF THE

THERAPIST IS NOT THE REAL PERSON HIMSELF.

II. II. UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARDUNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

THE THERPIST MUST HOW A DEEP AND GENUINE CARING

ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CLIENT.

THE THERAPIST SHOULD CONVEY HIS FAITH WITH THE

POTENTIALS OF THE CLIENT.

THIS INCLUDES MAING NO JUDGEMENT ABOUT THE PATIENT,

AND APPROVING SOME BUT NOT ALL OF HIS ACTIONS AND

FEELINGS.

THE THERAPIST SHOULD BE AS READY TO ACCEPT THE

NEGATIVE FEELINGS AS THE POSITIVE ONES, FROM THE

CLIENT.

ACCORDING TO CARL ROGERS(1966), “ITS’ AN UNPOSSESSIVE

CARING FOR THE CLIENT AS A SEPARATE PERSON, WHICH

ALLOWS THE CLIENT TO FREELY HAVE HIS OWN FEELINGS

AND EXPERIENCES.”

CARL ROGERS, IN HIS LATER WORK WITH SCHIZOPHRENICS,

CAME TO REALIZE THAT IT WON’T BE POSSIBLE TO ACCEPT

THE GROSSLY IMMATURE AND REGRESSED CLIENTS AS THEY

ARE. THEY MAY REQUIRE A MORE CONDITIONAL REGARD.

FOR EG. IF THE THERAPIST SAYS-” I WOULD HAVE LIKED YOU

BETTER IF YOU ACTED IN A MORE MATURE WAY” , IT WOULD BE

A CONDITIONAL POITIVE REGARD.

III. ACURATE EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDINGACURATE EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING

PROGRESS IN THERAPY REQUIRES THE THERAPIT TO PERCEIVE

THE FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES SENSITIVELY AND

ACCURATELY AND TO UNDERSTAND THEM ACCORDING TO THE

CLIENTS’ PERSPECTIVE.

ACCURATE EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING MEANS THAT THE

THERAPIST CAN SENSE THE CLIENTS’ INNER WORLD, AS IF

IT WERE HIS OWN.

THEN, THE THERAPIST MUST COMMUNICATE THESE

EXPERIENCES TO THE CLIENT IN WORDS AND CONCEPTS,

WHICH CAN BE EASILY UNDERSTOD AND WHICH HELP THE

CLIENT TO GAIN A FURTHER AWARENESS OF HIS

EXPERIENCES.

IN THIS FASHION, THE CLIENT CAN RECOGNIZE AS TO WHERE

IS EXPERIENCE MISMATCHES WITH HIS SELF-CONCEPT, AND

SHOULD WORK TOWARDS BRINGING DENIED FEELINGS INTO

GREATER CONGRUENCE WITH HIS SELF.

THIS THERAPY FOCUSSES ON MAKING THE CLIENT MORE

CONGRUENT , ENABLING HIM TO GIVE AN UNCONDITIONAL

POSITIVE REGARD TO OTHERS AND TO BE MORE EMPATHIC IN

VIEWING HIMSELF AND OTHERS.

THIS PARTICULAR PHASE OF THE THERAPY INCLUDES ACTIVE

LISTENING ON THE PART OF TH THERAPIST, AND IT INVOLVES 3

STAGES :-

A. REFLECTIONREFLECTION – HERE, THE THERAPIST TRIES TO MAKE THE

CLIENT ABLE TO PERCEIVE HIMSELF AS IF HE IS LOOKING INTO

A MIRROR.

B.B. PARAPHRASING PARAPHRASING – HERE, WHATEVER THE CLIENT

SPEAKS, IS REPEATED BY THE THERAPIST IN A WAY,

WHICH IS AIMED AT RE-DEFINING THE FEELINGS OF THE

CLIENT, IN A BETTER WAY.

C.C. CLARIFICATIONCLARIFICATION – THE THERAPIST CLARIFIES THE

THINGS IN HIS LANGUAGE, SO THAT IT SEMS THAT THE

SPEAKER AND THE LISTENER ARE ON THE SAME

WAVELENGTH.

GENERAL STEPSGENERAL STEPS

• THIS THERAPY WAS DEVELOPED BY CARL ROGERS. HE

BROUGHT SOME CHANGES IN HIS THERAPY FROM 1951 TO

1966. IN THE BEGINNING, THIS THERAPY WAS USED FOR

MILD DISORDERS ONLY, BUT LATERO, IT BEGAN TO BE

USED FOR COMPLEX DISORDERS SUCH AS

SCHIZOPHRENIA. THIS THERAPY INVOLVE SOME STEPS :-

1.1. THE CLENT HIMSELF COMES FOR HELP/THERAPYTHE CLENT HIMSELF COMES FOR HELP/THERAPY

THE DECISION TO IMPROVE AND CURE ONESELF COMES

FROM ONES’ OWN SIDE AND THE THERAPIST WELCOMES

IT. THE ROLE OF THE THERAPIST IS TO PROVIDE SUCH AN

ATMOSPHERE TO THE CLIENT, WHEREBY THE CLIENT

BECOMES CAPABLE OF SOLVING HIS PROBLEMS BY HIS

OWN SELF. THE SUCCESS OF THE THERAPY, THEREFORE,

DEPENDS ON THE MOTIVATIONAL LEVEL OF THE CLIENT.

2. EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS

THE THERAPIST SHOWS HIS EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING

SO THAT THE CLIENT I FREE TO EXPRESS HIS FEELINGS

AND EXPERIENCES. THE THERAPIST PRESENTS HIMSELF AS

A MODEL AND THE CLIENT FOLLOWS HIM. THE ROLE OF

THE THERAPIST IS JUST LIKE A FACILITATOR. HE

ONLY ENCOURAGES THE CLIENT TO EXPRESS AND ACCEPT

HIS OWN SELF, COMPLETELY.

3.3. DEVELOPMENT OF INSIGHTDEVELOPMENT OF INSIGHT

ACCORDING TO CARL ROGERS, THERE ARE SOME FACTS

RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSIGHT, AND THEY

ARE AS FOLLOWS:-

A. WITH THE HELP OF INSIGHT, THE CLIENT IS ABLE TO

PERCEIVE THOSE ASPECTS OF SELF WHICH HE INITIALLY

DENIED AND REPRESSED.

B. THE CLIENT BECOMES ABLE TO FACE HIS REAL SELF,

FEELINGS AND ATTITUDE.

C. HE IS ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE REAL CAUSES FOR HIS

PROBLEM.

D. HE IS ABLE TO DEVELOP A NEW AND A BETTER VIEWPOINT.

E. HE IS ALSO ABLE TO FIND OUT THE VARIOUS SOLUTIONS TO

HIS PROBLEMS, AND DEALS WITH THEM IN AN APPROPRIATE

WAY.

4. POSITIVE CHANGE

THIS THERAPY FOCUSSES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSIGHT

AND THE CLIENT STARTS FINDING OUT THE POSSIBLE

SOLUTIONS TO HIS PROBLEMS AND PROVIDES HIMSELF A

DIRECTION. INITIALLY THE CLIENT FACES DIFFICULTIES BUT

GRADUALLY, HE BEGINS TO GAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE AND THIS

LESSENS HIS CONFLICTS. IN THE BEGINNING, THE THERAPIST

ACTS AS A REFLECTOR AND HELPS THE CLIENT TO CHANGE HIS

CURRENT PHENOMENOLOGY INTO A NEW PHENOMENOLOGY,

THEREBY ACTING AS A FACILITATOR.

5. ENDING THE CONTRACT

AS THE CLIENT PROCEEDS TOWARDS POSITIVE AND SELF-

DIRECTED WAYS OF LIFE, HE DEVELOPS A SENSE OF SELF-

CONFIDENCE AND STARTS BELIEVING THAT HE CAN SOLVE

HIS PROBLEMS BY HIS OWN SELF AND DOESNOT DEPEND

ON ANYONES’ HELP. SO, WITH THIS CONFIDENCE, THE

CLIENT HIMSELF EXPRESSES THE DESIRE TO END THE

THERAPY BECAUSE HE NOW BELIEVES THAT IN FUTURE HE

WOULD BE ABLE TO SHOW HIS RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR.

THIS EXPRESION OF THE CLIENT MAKES THE THERAPIST

END THE THERAPY.

EVALUATION OF THE CLIENT-CENTEREDEVALUATION OF THE CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPYTHERAPY

MERITSMERITS

1. THIS THERAPY HAS ENCOURAGED MANY EMPIRICAL STUDIES

AND RESEARCHES TO TAKE PLACE.

2. IT HAS PROVED TO BE USEFUL IN THE TREATMENT OF SIMPLE

MENTAL DISORDERS.

3. ONCE THIS THERAPY HAS BEEN ADMINISTERED COMPLETELY,

THE RESULTS ARE STABLE, HELPFUL AND LONG-TERM.

4. THIS THERAPY HAS PROVED VERY USEFUL IN SCHOOLS AND

COLLEGES AND IN PROVIDING COUNSELLING IN

PROFESSIONAL AREAS AS WELL AS TO FAMILIES. IT HAS

ALSO HELPED MALADJUSTED INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME

MORE ADJUSTED.

5. THIS THERAPY FOLLOWS SYSTEMATIC PROCEDURES AND

STEPS.

6. MANY PSCHOLOGISTS BELIEVE CARL ROGERS’ IDEA THAT

ONCE AN INDIVIDUAL IS GIVEN THE FREEDOM TO EXPRESS

HIMSELF, TO KNOW HIMSELF AND TO BELIEVE HIMSELF,

THAT HE BEGINS TO MOVE TOWARDS A BETTER

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH.

7. ITS’ A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE TO BE LEARNED AND PRACTICED.

DEMERITSDEMERITS

1. ACCORDING TO BLEULER, THIS THRAPY DOESNOT REQUIRE

THAT THE THERAPIST SHOULD BE A GENUINE, PATIENT

LISTENER OR HAVE AN EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE

CLIENT.

2. CARL ROGERS HAS NOT GIVEN MUCH ATTENTION TO THE

FOLLOW-UP i.e. HE HAS NOT EMPHASIZED THE ROLE OF THE

THERAPIST, AFTER THE THERAPY IS OVER.

3. PSYCHOLOGISTS’ BELIEVE THAT HERE THE THERAPIST HAS

TO MAKE MANY VALUE JUDGEMENTS OR GUESS WORK

ABOUT THE CLIENT AND THIS MAY LEAD TO MANY

MISTAKES.

4. ALTHOUGH THIS THERAPY EMPHASIZES ON ‘SELF-

ACTUALIZATION’, WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE MOST

IMPORTANT FORCE IN ANYONES’ LIFE, BUT SOME

PSYCHOLOGISTS ARGUE THAT IF SUCH A MOTIVATOR IS

PRESENT IN ONES’ LIFE, THEN HOW CAN A PERSON SHOW

MALADAPTIVE LEARNING AND BEHAVIOR AND HOW COME

HE BECOMES A VICTIM OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGIES.

5. THIS THERAPY IS SUCCESFUL ONLY IN CASE OF MILD

MENTAL DISORDERS.

6. ITS’ A VERY MUCH TIME-CONSUMING THERAPY.

7. CARL ROGERS SEEMS TO BE TOO IDEALISTIC IN HIS

APPROACH AND HE HAS TALKED ABOUT FULLY-

FUNCTIONING INDIVIDUAL, WHICH IS RARELY FOUND.

T H A N K T H A N K Y O UY O U