The Counselor as a Therapeutic Person

Because counseling is an intimate form of learning, it demands a practitioner who is

willing to shed stereotypes and be an authentic person in the therapeutic relationship.
It is within the context of such a person-to-person connection that the client
experiences growth. If we hide behind the safety of our professional role, our clients
will likely keep themselves hidden from us. If we become merely technical experts and
leave our own reactions, values, and self out of our work, the result is likely to be
sterile counseling. It is through our own genuineness and our aliveness that we can
signifi cantly touch our clients. If we make life-oriented choices, radiate a joy for life,
and are real in our relationships with our clients, we can motivate them to develop
these same life-enhancing qualities. This does not mean that we are self-actualized
persons who have “made it” or that we are without our problems. Rather, it implies that
we are willing to look at our lives and make the changes we want. Because we affi rm
that changing is worth the risk and the effort, we hold out hope to our clients that they
can change and truly like the person they are becoming. In short, as therapists we
serve as models for our clients. If we model incongruent behavior, low-risk activity, and
remain distant, we can expect our clients to imitate this behavior. If we model realness
by engaging in appropriate self-disclosure, our clients will tend to be honest with us in
the therapeutic relationship. Clients can become more of what they are capable of
becoming, or they can become less than they might be. In my judgment the degree
ofaliveness and psychological health of the counselor is a crucial variable that infl
uences the outcome. What does the research reveal about the role of the counselor as
a person and the therapeutic relationship on psychotherapy outcome? From my
perspective, who the psychotherapist is directly relates to his or her ability to establish
and maintain effective therapy relationships with clients. There is research support for
the centrality of the person of the therapist. Norcross (2002a) states that “multiple and
converging sources of evidence indicate that the person of the psychotherapist is
inextricably intertwined with the outcome of psychotherapy” (p. 4). Lambert and Barley
(2002) claim that empirical research “strongly and consistently supports the centrality of
the therapeutic relationship as a primary factor contributing to psychotherapy outcome”
(p. 17). According to Norcross (2002a), research indicates that both the therapy
relationship and the therapy methods used make consistent contributions to the
outcomes of treatment. Thus, considering either therapy interventions or therapy
relationships alone is incomplete. Norcross (2002a) concludes: “The research shows an
effective psychotherapist is one who employs specifi c methods, who offers strong
relationships, and who customizes both discrete methods and relationship stances to
the individual person and condition”.