employs a number of well-defined techniques and principles. Five of these will be
identified below.
First, the therapy should be non-directive.The therapist should not tell the
client what to do or try to make decisions for him or her. Indeed, an older name
for client-centered therapy was non-directive therapy.Assume that Agatha is
thinking of leaving her husband. She says, “He’s been cheating on me again.
What do you think? Do you think I should leave him?” The therapist does not
answer, “Yes, I think so. He’s no good for you.” Nor does the therapist answer,
“No, I don’t think so. I believe you need to keep your marriage intact.” Instead,
the therapist might say something such as, “Let’s explore the pros and cons
together. Maybe I can help you evaluate your feelings. Then you can make a deci-
sion that is right for you.”(a) According to Rogers, in the case of troubled people, the self-concept is unsatisfactory in
relation to the ideal self. This state is known as.(b) An older name for client-centered therapy was therapy.
Answers: (a) incongruence; (b) non-directive.Second, the therapy should create a condition ofunconditional positive
regard.This means that the client needs to be respected as a person even if he or
she speaks of moral lapses or irresponsible behavior. The aim of the therapy is to
help, not to judge, the client.
Third, the therapy should employ active listening.The therapist gives the
client high-quality verbal feedback. The therapist needs, from time to time, to
summarize what the client has been saying. The therapist’s remarks should help
the client to recognize powerful feelings and persistent attitudes. Nodding and
being agreeable is not active listening; it is passive listening. Although the therapist
should not give direction, he or she should assist the client in his or her process of
greater self-understanding.
Fourth, the therapist should be capable ofempathy.Empathy exists when the
therapist can readily imagine what it would be like to experience life as the client
experiences it. The therapist, to some extent, shares the perceptual and emotional
world of the troubled person. When empathy exists, the client tends to feel
understood, that he or she and the therapist are “on the same wavelength.”
Fifth, the therapist must be genuine.He or she should not be merely doing a
job. Instead, the therapist must see the practice of psychotherapy as a high calling
and really care about the client’s long-run welfare.(a) What three-word term does client-centered therapy use to indicate that a client
should be respected even if he or she speaks of moral lapses or irresponsible behavior?236 PSYCHOLOGY