Client-centered therapy revolutionized 20th-century psychotherapy. Its founder, American psychologist Carl Rogers, rejected the medical model for treating clients, which he found overly directive. Traditionally, diagnoses were made and the psychotherapist was seen as the expert leading the process, determining treatment methods, and steering towards specific outcomes. However, Rogers believed that the client themselves were the primary expert and guide in the therapeutic process.
This approach is also known as person-centered psychotherapy. By creating an environment of trust and acceptance during therapy, this method guides individuals towards enhancing their sense of wholeness and unlocking their potential.
In client-centered therapy, the client directs the therapeutic process, with the therapist aiding them in self-discovery, helping them answer their own questions, and draw conclusions.
Without personal interpretations or judgments, the client-centered therapist identifies the motives behind a person’s behavior. Rogers posited that every individual has an inherent positive disposition. Even individuals considered wrongdoers, by nature, are unhappy and lack acceptance, as no one is inherently evil or vengeful from birth.
The client-centered method focuses on an individual's self-concept. Through the lens of self-concept, a person views themselves and the world around them.
When a person’s feelings clash with their self-concept, they attempt to preserve their self-image and begin avoiding contact with reality.
For example, someone might deny themselves the right to cry because they perceive tears as a sign of weakness, and they do not want to see themselves as weak.
This leads to the denial of aspects of their personality, thus distorting their perception of reality.
Conflict between the self-concept and reality triggers anxiety, fears, and behaviors that do not correspond to reality.
Rogers’ client-centered therapy works with the self-concept, correcting and guiding it towards a more realistic perception of oneself and the surrounding world.
Fundamental Principles of Client-Centered Therapy
The objective of client-centered therapy is to work with an individual's self-perception. Trust-filled client-therapist relationships are the cornerstone of successful therapy. Carl Rogers identified several key principles that create the necessary conditions for such relationships:
Unconditional Attention and Respect from the Professional
The psychotherapist accepts any emotions and actions of the client, without judgment or personal biases. They provide an experience of acceptance and respect; in this atmosphere, the client is not judged or ignored. This enables the client to experience relationships where they are unconditionally accepted as they are. It aids in seeing and accepting others and being open to their experiences.
Psychological Contact
During Client-Centered Therapy (CCT), a contact is established between the client and the psychotherapist, which is essential for achieving the goals of therapy. They influence each other, forming emotional relationships.
Empathy
The client-centered psychotherapist hears, understands, and shares the feelings of the client. The experience of empathy allows an individual to fully reveal their personality without the fear of judgment from others. By empathizing, the therapist notices and reveals feelings that the individual may not yet have noticed or realized.
Client Incongruence
Incongruence, or a state of misalignment, provokes vulnerability and anxiety in an individual. This sensation is characterized by a discrepancy between the actual experience and the client's self-concept regarding that experience. Then, they begin to distort and deny their experiences: their self-image does not match reality. In client-centered therapy, they work on smoothly achieving a correspondence between the real self and the self-concept.
Therapist Congruence and Harmony
The psychotherapist also experiences feelings during interactions with the client. In such cases, it is important to be transparent, honest, and candid in expressing these feelings while maintaining an atmosphere of trust and respect. The therapist must have a clear understanding of their own personality to authentically express themselves with the client. This allows the client to trust the therapist and gain the skill to build healthy relationships in the real world.
Acceptance of Therapy Conditions
The client takes responsibility for their progress and personal growth in the therapeutic process, discussing and agreeing to its terms. When they are open, active, and honest participants in the process, client-centered therapy can yield positive results.
Carl Rogers' theory is still used by the psychotherapeutic community today. Client-centered therapy is part of the humanistic approach, similar to Gestalt and existential therapy, where the relationship between client and therapist is equal. CCT set the conditions for the therapeutic process for many other directions.
If all these conditions are met, client-centered therapy will be successful. The client becomes a fully functioning individual: unveiling their potential, making their own choices, and living according to their authentic values. Thus, they will feel whole, regardless of the circumstances and challenges they face.
Who is Suitable for CCT: Approach Directions
The principles of client-centered therapy dictate that sessions are not suitable for people who expect a directive approach from the therapist. CCT assumes that the client does not expect clear prescriptions and instructions from the therapist. Instead, the client resolves their issues independently, relying on the acceptance and trust of the psychotherapist.
Here are examples of issues that can be addressed in person-centered (reconstructive) psychotherapy:
- Self-esteem issues;
- Anxiety states;
- Depressive moods;
- Negative feelings: aggression, guilt, shame;
- Communication problems with others.
For consulting various issues, there are different directions within CCT. Some of these directions contradict the principles of client-centered therapy, while others consider all of them necessary. Depending on their needs, different approaches may interest various clients.
Psychotherapeutic Approaches
Process-Experiential Therapy
Process-Experiential Therapy
Client-Centered Psychotherapists can incorporate beneficial techniques from various branches of Client-Centered Therapy (CCT)
What to Expect from Therapy Sessions?
For a client-centered therapist, it is crucial to understand how a person perceives and relates to themselves. Initially, the therapist observes and carefully guides the therapeutic process to monitor the client's state and note any progress. Attention is paid to both the client's words and their non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, body language, and gestures.
In client-centered therapy, the psychologist does not assign tasks or give advice. Instead, the client decides which experiences and topics they want to discuss and in what order.
In turn, the therapist listens attentively to the client, empathizes with their experiences, and asks questions. Through therapy, the client begins to accept parts of themselves that they have habitually ignored or denied. Client-centered therapy helps individuals mature, better understand themselves, their motives, and their behaviors.
The duration and process of client-centered therapy depend on the individual's needs. CCT is not a short-term approach: achieving desired outcomes may require between 10 and 30 sessions. Clients have the right to conclude therapy whenever they feel it is appropriate.
