Aquinas College of Higher Education

Introduction to Counselling Practice, 2022

Weekday Students
Fr. Prakash Fernando

Client-Centered Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy is a form of psychotherapy developed by Carl Rogers in the early

1940s. It helps clients take responsibility for their lives and solve problems on their own. A
person-centered therapist creates a therapy environment to best fit their unique client. The
therapist sets the stage for personality growth by reflecting and clarifying the ideas of the client,
who is able to see himself or herself more clearly and come into closer touch with his or her real
self. As therapy progresses, the client resolves conflicts, reorganizes values and approaches to
life, and learns how to interpret his or her thoughts and feelings, consequently changing behavior
that he or she considers problematic. It was originally known as nondirective
counseling or nondirective therapy, although this term is now used more broadly to denote any
approach to psychotherapy in which the therapist establishes an encouraging atmosphere but
avoids giving advice, offering interpretations, or engaging in other actions to actively direct the
therapeutic process.

According to Rogers, an orderly process of client self-discovery and actualization occurs in

response to the therapist’s consistent empathic understanding of, acceptance of, and respect for
the client’s frame. Also called client-centered psychotherapy; person-centered therapy; Rogerian
therapy.

Understanding Person-Centered Therapy

Person-centered therapy is also known as client-centered psychotherapy and Rogerian therapy.
This is a type of psychotherapy that consists of the client's self-discovery and understanding of
themselves.
Therapists and clients work together to empathetically understand and accept your frame of
mind. This sets you up for personality growth. This type of therapy helps you see yourself more
clearly and be in touch with your true self.
Rogers said each client has value and should be viewed as a person of unconditional self-
worth no matter their condition, behavior, or feelings. Person-centered therapists understand that
what is important to them may be different from what is important and valuable to the client.
Rogers focused on the importance of not wanting to change the client but letting them progress at
their own speed. He believed that clients have the last say in how they live their lives and what
works for them.
Why Is Person-Centered Therapy Important?
Person-centered therapy is important because it helps you resolve conflicts, reorganize your values
and approaches to life, and teaches you to interpret your thoughts and feelings. This is meant to help
you change behavior that you believe is interfering with your mental health. This type of therapy
focuses on therapeutic relationships and helps you understand what deeply motivates you. It’s also
designed to help you see your potential.
Person-centered therapy is designed to have a mutual agreement on goals and tasks between therapist
and client. A person-centered therapist can match their therapeutic style to your specific needs and
preferences. This type of therapy ties into the approach of mindfulness. The goal is to help you
become aware of your current experiences and accept them. Rogers's main point of his theory was to
increase openness to experience and help his clients' live fully in the moment.

Impact of Person-Centered Therapy on Your Mental Health

Person-centered therapy has a great impact on your mental health. This type of therapy lets you
tell your story at your own pace. It’s designed for you to create a strong, healthy relationship
with your therapist. Your therapist listens to you and doesn’t point out directions or give
solutions. The reason this therapy refers to people as clients instead of patients was started by
Rogers who wanted a more equal relationship between client and therapist.
Person-centered therapy helps you learn empathy and unconditional positive regard for yourself
and others. Your therapist is meant to support, guide, and structure your sessions to help you
discover your own solution to the problems you’re facing. Another important part of person-
centered therapy is the focus on mindfulness and self-compassion. These two aspects are
designed to help you feel better about yourself and the people around you. This therapy sets you
up to form healthy, positive relationships with people and yourself.

Six Elements of Person-Centered Therapy

Rogers believed that people are intricate and one-of-a-kind. He believed that one type of treatment
wouldn’t fit everyone. However, he did come up with six core conditions for counseling. These
elements include:

1. The therapist and client must have psychological contact to discuss inner feelings.
2. The client should feel like their actions don’t match their feelings and are emotionally upset.
3. The therapist is involved in the relationship and genuinely aware of their own feelings.
4. The therapist should have unconditional positive feelings towards the client and not judge
them but value them.
5. The therapist should have an empathetic understanding of their client’s internal frame of
reference.
6. The client should feel like the therapist has unconditional positive regard for them and their
difficulties.

Person-centered therapy is successful when it’s built on trust. You should be able to trust your
therapist to tell them your innermost feelings. Your therapist also needs to trust themselves to give
proper treatment and conversation.