Application Of Counselor Competence For Person Centered And Experiential Psychotherapy

Over the time in this course I have been drawn to the Person – Centered Theory, I feel like that is what my personality is like, and I would love to continue to grow strong and practice theory that comes natural to me. This is the theory I scored highest on my Selective Theory Sorter- Revised Questionnaire. Person-Centered therapy will have great significance to my development as a professional counselor for the reason that I already think of myself as a very authentic, sympathetic and accepting person. I am an excellent listener, and I have learned to process my thoughts before I speak. I think that a consoling therapist/client relationship is indispensable to the counseling process. Another reason I like this psychotherapy/theory is because

In the very early years of the person-centred approach, the direction and goals of the therapy were very much determined by the client, with the therapist’s role being to assist the client in clarifying their feelings. This approach of non-directive therapy was associated with a greater self-exploration, increased understanding, and improved self-concept. Further development of person centred therapy has seen a shift in concentration toward the core conditions assumed to be both necessary and sufficient for successful therapy (Cox, Bachkirova & Clutterbuck, 2010)

Person-Centered Therapy (PCT) embodies a humanistic approach, which is intended to increase a person’s feelings of self-worth, and reduce the level of incongruence between the ideal self and the actual self (Gelso, Cepeda & Davenport, 2006). This critical analysis is meant to examine various approaches and skills counselors/therapists would use when applying a ‘person-centered’ type of therapy. This analysis briefly outlines what PCT is, but focuses more heavily on the various approaches used by social workers throughout the therapeutic relationship. More specifically, PCT approaches such as, counselor/client congruence, empathic understanding, and unconditional positive regard are the main approaches highlighted in this analysis as they play an integral role in the counseling relationship.

I believe that Carl Rogers Person-Centred counselling is reliable. It developed the method of enhancing the relationship formed between a counsellor or therapist and client. Rogers

These correct conditions which are required within person centred therapy in order that the client can achieve self actualisation and personality change were outlined by Carl Rogers and he believed that if this 6 conditions were met, it would facilitate change within the client: Two persons are in psychological contact- both client and counsellor are present physically and psychologically. The client is in a state of incongruence, (which will be discussed in more detail) the communication of the counsellor’s empathetic understanding and unconditional positive regard is met at a minimal level. The last condition mentioned involves 3 other conditions, which are essential attitudes and qualities necessary for the counsellor to posses for successful therapy; empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard and congruence. (Rogers C, 1957).

Evaluate the claim that Person-Centred Therapy offers the therapist all that he/she will need to treat clients.

To me, as a trainee psychotherapist, the best way to thoroughly understand the person-centred approach is to connect the theory behind it to personal experiences. When I’m thinking about why I decided to study to become a Person-Centred therapist, and not a CBT or Psychoanalytic therapist, the first thing that comes to mind is my belief in self-healing. I strongly support Rogers’ idea that all individuals should be in charge of their own lives (Cooper et al., 2007). It is commonly assumed by government officials and the general public that treating clients by teaching them how to deal with their current issues has better outcomes than using client-centred therapies (Stiles et al., 2007). However, is directing the client in the “right direction” really what therapy is all about? How would a counsellor then know weather the path that they sent the client on is indeed the right one for them to achieve psychological wellness in a long term? In my experience of receiving counselling in the past I tended to be quite reserved towards the methods used by psychotherapists using a person-centred approach. I used to believe that I am not responsible for my own happiness and someone else had to tell me how to be happy. One of the main conflicts that I had and still have sometimes with person-centred therapy is that I loose faith that I am able to find my own way of healing myself. I remember years ago when I suffered with depression, no matter how hard I worked to return my internal

In the 1940s Carl Rogers was well on his way to revolutionizing the state of traditional, directive psychotherapy and pioneering what would soon become the person-centered approach. Although Rogers strayed from the psychological mainstream’s view that therapists drive their clients recovery through such mediums as advice, direction, teaching and interpretation he still believed that the therapist’s role was crucial, and it was their attributes that paved the way to increased awareness and self-directed change.

A Person-Centered Therapy relationship often begins with a conversation about informed consent, which stresses openness and acceptance and warns that “being in counseling isn’t easy and it’s never an emotionally neutral experience” (Sommers-Flanagan, p. 167). This can set the tone of empowerment of and respect for the client. Once empathy and unconditional positive regard for the student or client are established, a Person-Centered Therapist maintains a person-centered way of being. Though PCT does not employ a list of concrete strategies or techniques, it does require a set of attitudes. In contemporary practice, Motivational Interviewing has become an accepted technique. It involves a more directed approach than traditional PCT, but maintains a respectful, empathic relationship with unconditional positive regard. Through MI, a Person-Centered Therapist will instruct, advise, and persuade the client or student to identify the core feelings and thoughts surrounding their apparent ambivalence toward a problematic issue.

IHistory of Person Centered Theory In the multifaceted and varied realm of Psychotherapy theories, the Person-Centered approach is a therapy that stands on its own, but at the same time comingles and shares key principles other theories such as Existential Therapy as both utilize the uniqueness and prominence of the client-therapist relationship as the basic principal of the therapeutic procedure. At the same time both theories tend to elevate the importance of the person or client as the epicenter for structuring behavioral change. In the early education years of Carl Rogers, although he had developed a serious knowledge base of the utilization of scientific method (Kirschenbaum, 2004), Rogers pursued a degree in religious studies at Union

Person-centered theory embraces the person-centered counselling or client-centered counselling relationship. It’s a humanistic approach that deals with the ways in which individuals perceive themselves consciously rather than how a counsellor can interpret their unconscious thoughts or ideas (Raskin, Nathaniel, Rogers & Witty, 2008). It provides focus to the client’s ability to build trust, which allows the client to learn how to react to people, and situations, in a more positive manner, as well as reducing negative feelings. As well as diverged toward a nondirective, empathic approach that empowers and motivates the client in the therapeutic process (Raskin, Nathaniel, Rogers & Witty, 2008). According to Roger, human being strives for and has the capacity to fulfill his or her own potential (Rogers,

In this session, person-centered, SFBT, and cognitive behavior therapy were the theoretical frameworks that were being used. Using a person-centered framework supported the counseling relationship through the use of skills such as unconditional positive regard, genuineness, empathy, active listening and validation (Henderson & Thompson, 2011; Stone & Dahir, 2016). For instance, the counselor validated the student’s feelings in order to show the student that their feelings were important. This also supported positive rapport because the student felt understood, helping to further the relationship.

Person-centered therapy is just one of over more than 300 different types of psychotherapy treatments available to clients, illustrated by Holmes and Lindley (1989) as ranging from Active Analytical Psychotherapy to Zaraleya Psychoenergetic Technique. Over the years, these varying schools of thought have not always seen eye to eye with emphasis being placed on differences rather than any commonality leading to much heated debate and discussion over which technique is the most effective for both therapist and client.

In the realm of person-centered counseling, as established by Carl Rogers, people are essentially good, and are capable of making changes to themselves. Self-actualization is the most important drive a person has, and this is made up of actions that influence the whole person. Dysfunctional behavior is a result of not successfully learning or changing. According to this theory, a person needs positive regard, or unconditional love and respect, amongst other things. This is hard to find many times, as most people are afforded conditional regard, and this can become problematic for a person in that most times they either strive to meet those conditions and lose their individuality, or they attain individuality and do not receive the regard that they should receive to be satisfied in life.

Person-centered counseling (PCC) is one of the key models of understanding for the dynamic force that lies behind the therapist/client relationship. This particular model focuses on the three core elements of unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding and congruence, all of which related to the establishment of a level of trust, understanding, respect and honesty between the two players. But what happens when the domain of "person-centered counseling" gets usurped by a "computer-centered reality"?