CARL ROGERS CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY Name: _____________________________
Client-Centered Therapy (CCT) was developed by Carl Rogers in the 40's and 50's. It is a nondirective approach to therapy, "directive" meaning any therapist behavior that deliberately steers
the client in some way. Directive behaviors include asking questions, offering treatments, and
making interpretations and diagnoses. Virtually all forms of therapy practiced in the US are
directive.
A non-directive approach is very appealing on the face of it to many clients, because they get to
keep control over the content and pace of the therapy. It is intended to serve them, after all. The
therapist isn't evaluating them in any way or trying to "figure them out".
But what is in CCT, one may ask, if the therapist isn't interjecting their own stuff?
The answer is, whatever the client brings to it. And that is, honestly, a very good answer. The
foundational belief of CCT is that people tend to move toward growth and healing, and have the
capacity to find their own answers. This tendency is helped along by an accepting and
understanding climate, which the CC therapist seeks to provide above all else.
So, this is what CC therapists do:
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Listen and try to understand how things are from the client's point of view.
Check that understanding with the client if unsure.
Treat the client with the utmost respect and regard.
There is also a mandate for the therapist to be "congruent", or "transparent" - which means
being self-aware, self-accepting, and having no mask between oneself and the client. The
therapist knows themselves and is willing to be known.
CCT may sound simple or limited, because there is no particular structure that the therapist is
trying to apply. But when I watch CCT in action I see a very rich and complicated process. People
unravel their own stuff. They discover new things, take brave steps, and don't have to cope with a
therapist who is doing things to them in the meantime. The therapist strives to understand and
accept the client's stuff, which is no simple feat. Over time, the client increasingly seeks to
understand and accept their stuff too.
That CCT is effective has been amply demonstrated by decades of research. Furthermore, recent
research has shown that the most significant variables in the effectiveness of therapy are aspects of
the relationship and the therapist's personal development - not the particular discipline they practise
or techniques they employ. C-C therapists focus more attention on these variables than therapists in
any other discipline.
Remarkable as it may seem, research has never shown that it is more effective to address specific
problems with specific therapy techniques. Amazing, yes? Without this result, there is no
justification for a therapist to make diagnoses in the first place.
3 KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL CLIENT-CENTERED THERAPY
Genuineness:
The therapist needs to share his or her feelings honestly. By modeling this behavior, the therapist can help teach the
client to also develop this important skill.
Unconditional Positive Regard:
The therapist must accept the client for who they are and display support and care no matter what the client is facing
or experiencing. Rogers believed that people often develop problems because they are used to only receiving
conditional support; acceptance that is only offered if the person conforms to certain expectations. By creating a
climate of unconditional positive regard, the client feels able to express his or her emotions without fear of rejection.
Rogers explained: "Unconditional positive regard means that when the therapist is experiencing a positive, acceptant
attitude toward whatever the client is at that moment, therapeutic movement or change is more likely. It involves the
therapist's willingness for the client to be whatever feeling is going on at that moment - confusion, resentment, fear,
anger, courage, love, or pride…The therapist prizes the client in a total rather than a conditional way."
Empathetic Understanding:
The therapist needs to be reflective, acting as a mirror of the client's feelings, thoughts. The goal of this is to allow the
client to gain a clearer understanding of their own inner thought, perceptions and emotions.
Video of Roger’s performing client-centered therapy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m30jsZx_Ngs
Questions
1) During the video clip, does Carl Rogers display the 3 keys to successful therapy listed above? How?
2) Explain why client-centered therapy is described as “simple or limited, and “unstructured”.
3) Contrast CCT with psychoanalytic therapy – how does each perspective approach a person’s emotional
problem?