Client Centered Therapy and How it Will Work For You

Person Centered Therapy, also known as Clientthat person begins to feel that he or she is worth
Centered, Non Directive, or Rogerian Therapy, iscaring for, this is a very powerful affirmation for
an approach to counseling and psychotherapy thata person seeking help.
places much of the emphasis on three main CoreThe Core Conditions synonymous with this model
Conditions and relies heavily on the relationshipare Acceptance, Genuiness and Empathy.
between client and counsellor. The client isAcceptance. The Counsellor or Therapist must be
recognised as the expert on them self and this isable to accept the client as they are, accept their
why it works.issues and that the client is in control of the
It is often said that of all the models oftherapeutic relationship.
therapeutic intervention, person-centred therapyGenuineness. The Counsellor or Therapist is real or
(PCT) makes the greatest demands on theauthentic in his/her behaviour towards the
therapist. This is because a client in PCT must feelworking relationship with the client. They do not
that their therapist is utterly trustworthy andsit as expert, only as a skilled practitioner who will
dependable as a person. In this model of therapyassist the client in finding their own answers to
the relationship between client and therapist is ofthe presenting problem and other issues which
paramount importance.may be of concern to the client.
Psychological skill is not enough in this model. inEmpathy. is the capacity to share and understand
addition, the client must feel that the therapist isanother persons emotions and feelings. It is often
totally accepting of them, no therapist can fakecharacterized as the ability to "put oneself into
genuine regard for a client for a sustained periodanother persons shoes", or in some way
of time.experience what the other person is feeling.
A person-centred therapist's attitude to the clientPerson or Client Centred Therapists believe that if
should be of total acceptance of the client as hethe relationship is as it should be and if the Core
or she is at present, not of what that personConditions are in place, then Therapeutic Change is
may become in the future.likely. This is great news for clients choosing this
At the very heart of the therapy is the beliefmodel of therapy.
that if a person is cared for by the therapist, then