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Therapeutic Models, Person Centred And Existential

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This essay will explore two therapeutic models, Person-Centred and Existential, with the aim of understanding the similarities and differences in terms of their fundamental principles, approach and techniques as well as the situations in which they may be best applied.
Person-centred therapy was developed by Carl Rogers as a new approach to therapy which put the emphasis on the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client and redefined the roles they would both play in the therapeutic process. Instead of the therapist being an expert who interprets, directs and gives answers to the client, the therapist focuses on establishing a genuine, non-judgemental and non-directive relationship where the client feels safe to be truly himself and chooses the direction and focus of therapy. The client is viewed as the expert in their life, exploring their challenges and finding their own solutions whilst the therapist is the expert in listening, reflecting and encouraging the client in their explorations without judgement. This approach encourages the individual to explore how they perceive and experience the world and how they react to it. This in turn develops the client’s self-awareness and capacity to be more conscious about their life, and learn how to find their own solutions to issues and challenges along the way.
As the name suggests, existential therapy is derived from existential philosophy developed in the late 19th Century and focusing on fundamental questions

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