CLIENT CENTERED THERAPY CLIENT CENTERED THERAPY BELONGS TO

CLIENT - CENTERED THERAPY

• 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 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 THERAPIST EMPLOYS NONDIRECTIVE TECHNIQUES, SO AS TO HELP THE CLIENT.

• IT IS ALSO CALLED “NON-DIRECTIVE COUNSELLING” BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE CLIENT , RATHER THAN 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 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.

• 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 THERAPIST. MOREOVER, BY CONSIDERING HIM AS A PATIENT, 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 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 THERAPY. THESE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. 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 THERAPY IS TO MAKE THE CLIENT AWARE OF HIS REAL SELF. 2. 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. COGNITIVE 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. INTERPERSONAL COMFORT – IT IS AN IMPORTANT INGREDIENT OF THIS THERAPY TO CREATE A COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE, WHERE 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. SELF-RELIANCE – AS 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. FUNCTIONING LEVEL- CARL ROGERS CLAIMS THAT AS 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 EFFECTIVE THERAPY Ø ROGER PLACES EMPHAIS ON THE ATTIUDE OF THERAPIST, BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT THERE ARE SOME THNECESSARY AND SUFFICIENT CONDITIONS WHICH ARE REQUIRED FOR BRINGING POSITIVE THRAPEUTIC CHANGES. Ø THE PARTICULAR TECHNIQUE THAT THERAPIST USES, HIS TRAINING , TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, ARE ENTIRELY SECONDARY, COMPARED TO HIS BASIC QUALITIES AS A THERAPIST.

• SUCCESS OF THERAPY DEPENDS UPON THERAPISTS’ COMUNICATION AND THE PATIENTS’ PERCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: I. THERAPISTS’ 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. • THERAPIST SHOULD BE AWARE OF HIS IDES AND FEELINGS AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE THEM

OPENLY. THIS, HOWEVER, DOESNOT MEAN THAT 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 THERAPIST IS NOT THE REAL PERSON HIMSELF.

II. UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD Ø THERPIST MUST HOW A DEEP AND GENUINE CARING ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CLIENT. Ø THERAPIST SHOULD CONVEY HIS FAITH WITH THE POTENTIALS OF THE CLIENT. Ø THIS INCLUDES MAING NO JUDGEMENT ABOUT THE PATIENT, AND APPROVING SOME BUT NOT ALL OF HIS ACTIONS AND FEELINGS.

Ø THERAPIST SHOULD BE AS READY TO ACCEPT THE NEGATIVE FEELINGS AS THE POSITIVE ONES, FROM THE CLIENT. Ø 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. ” Ø 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 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 UNDERSTANDING Ø PROGRESS IN THERAPY REQUIRES THERAPIT TO PERCEIVE THE FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES SENSITIVELY AND ACCURATELY AND TO UNDERSTAND THEM ACCORDING TO THE CLIENTS’ PERSPECTIVE. Ø ACCURATE EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING MEANS THAT THERAPIST CAN SENSE THE CLIENTS’ INNER WORLD, AS IF

IT WERE HIS OWN. Ø THEN, 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. Ø IN THIS FASHION, THE CLIENT CAN RECOGNIZE AS TO WHERE IS EXPERIENCE MISMATCHES WITH HIS SELFCONCEPT, AND SHOULD WORK TOWARDS BRINGING DENIED FEELINGS INTO GREATER CONGRUENCE WITH HIS SELF.

Ø 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. Ø THIS PARTICULAR PHASE OF THERAPY INCLUDES ACTIVE LISTENING ON THE PART OF TH THERAPIST, AND IT INVOLVES 3 STAGES : A. REFLECTION – HERE, THERAPIST TRIES TO MAKE THE CLIENT ABLE TO PERCEIVE HIMSELF AS IF HE IS LOOKING INTO A MIRROR.

B. PARAPHRASING – HERE, WHATEVER THE CLIENT SPEAKS, IS REPEATED BY THERAPIST IN A WAY, WHICH IS AIMED AT RE-DEFINING THE FEELINGS OF THE CLIENT, IN A BETTER WAY. C. CLARIFICATION – THERAPIST CLARIFIES THE THINGS IN HIS LANGUAGE, SO THAT IT SEMS THAT THE SPEAKER AND THE LISTENER ARE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH.

GENERAL 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. THE CLENT HIMSELF COMES FOR HELP/THERAPY THE DECISION TO IMPROVE AND CURE ONESELF COMES FROM ONES’ OWN SIDE AND THERAPIST WELCOMES

IT. THE ROLE OF 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 THERAPY, THEREFORE, DEPENDS ON THE MOTIVATIONAL LEVEL OF THE CLIENT. 2. EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS THERAPIST SHOWS HIS EMPATHIC UNDERSTANDING SO THAT THE CLIENT I FREE TO EXPRESS HIS FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES. THERAPIST PRESENTS HIMSELF AS A MODEL AND THE CLIENT FOLLOWS HIM. THE ROLE OF THERAPIST IS JUST LIKE A FACILITATOR. HE

ONLY ENCOURAGES THE CLIENT TO EXPRESS AND ACCEPT HIS OWN SELF, COMPLETELY. 3. DEVELOPMENT 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, 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 SELFDIRECTED WAYS OF LIFE, HE DEVELOPS A SENSE OF SELFCONFIDENCE 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 THERAPY BECAUSE HE NOW BELIEVES THAT IN FUTURE HE WOULD BE ABLE TO SHOW HIS RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR. THIS EXPRESION OF THE CLIENT MAKES THERAPIST END THERAPY.

EVALUATION OF THE CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY MERITS 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. DEMERITS 1. ACCORDING TO BLEULER, THIS THRAPY DOESNOT REQUIRE THAT 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 THERAPIST, AFTER THERAPY IS OVER.

3. PSYCHOLOGISTS’ BELIEVE THAT HERE 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 ‘SELFACTUALIZATION’, 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 FULLYFUNCTIONING INDIVIDUAL, WHICH IS RARELY FOUND.

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