Person-Centered Therapy

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and clarifying by his own words what he heard before. Another important method is the skill of staying with the speaker’s frame of reference (Tolan, 2017). By analysing the counsellors’ interactions and responses, we can measure the level of empathy, the key of the effective therapy is the motivation to provide the highest level where the understanding of underlying feeling and providing deep reflections are able to happen. (Mearns, Thorne, 2013)

2. Unconditional Positive Regard

According to Rogers (1957, p. 209) UPR means ‘a warm acceptance of each aspect of the clients’ experience. Positive regard occurs when the client perceives that he or she is making a positive difference in the experimental field of the therapist’ (in Bozarth, 2013).

This attitude requires consistency, which makes the therapist able to accept a wide range of clients, regardless of how they behave, but it does not mean that therapist likes or approves all the behaviours. (Mearns, Thorne, 2013)

The counsellors need to approach with their clients without prejudice, with respect towards every aspect of them, with accepting that they are self-determining persons. Because of our personal opinions, views this is the most difficult duty. (Wilkins, 2000)

3. Congruence

Congruence is stable and balanced state of self-experience and self-perception, regarding to this state the counsellor is able to reflect openly to the client’s feelings, without any sign of defence. Optimally congruence goes unnoticed, without changing the direction of the therapeutical process. Rogers encourage the counsellors to mention when they are not clearly understanding the clients. The therapist has the responsibility to be fully present in the healing relationship. Congruence is based on the response of the client’s experiencing, however this genuinely felt reaction is originated only when it is appropriate for expression, does not involve sharing of any personal matter. The counsellors also have to consider the relevance of response for the client.

Congruence along empathy and unconditional positive regard help the client trust the counsellor and the therapy process. Unlike other approaches, by the personal centered therapy the counsellor not only nodding, and commenting the client’s behaviour, but responding as a trustworthy human being, an equal partner. The congruent response can change the pattern of events and help growing. (Mearns,Thorne, 2013)

According to the meta-analysis of Elliot and Feire (2008) the effectiveness of person centered therapy is high, the clients received PCT therapies showed large gain comparing to clients who receive no therapy. However, they also found that the person centered approach in general are clinically and statistically equivalent to other therapies. Even so the approach was providing an answer to the limitations of other approaches, the effectiveness is highly depending on the client’s personality and the issue.

As a result of the variety of therapies a growing process can be settled by different ways, the goals are mostly the same with opposed methods considering to the needs of the client.