Client Centered Therapy

Question 1

History of client-centered therapy

Answer 1

• Developed by Carl Rogers
• Also known as “humanistic,” “phenomenological,” “person-centered,” and “Rogerian”
• Third force in psychology, different than behaviorism and psychoanalysis

Question 2

Carl Rogers

Answer 2

• Originally started as a psychoanalyst, felt that it was too impersonal
• Followed the client’s lead instead of taking the “expert” role
• No clear technique to his therapy, skillfully listen and understand, go wherever the client goes

Question 3

Nondirective approach (Otto Rank)

Answer 3

Client takes charge of the session, leads the session

Question 4

Describe the theory of personality for client-centered therapy

Answer 4

• All humans have an actualizing tendency (formative tendency)
• We react as a whole
• The self is built upon our experiences, our internal frame of reference, and our organismic valuing process
• Our reality is based on our perceptions and our behaviors

Question 5

Actualizing tendency

Answer 5

All organisms seek to maintain and enhance themselves, seek to meet their goals

Question 6

Reacting as a whole

Answer 6

Humans strive for autonomy and are more than the sum of their parts (ex. a disorder classification)

Question 7

Internal frame of reference

Answer 7

The way in which the client sees the world from their own unique vantage point, our internal, private reality

Question 8

Organismic valuing process

Answer 8

How we come to determine values for ourselves, based on internalized conditions of worth

Question 9

Symbolization

Answer 9

Being conscious of your own experience, your internal world is in your consciousness

Question 10

Psychological adjustment

Answer 10

We must have experiences that our consistent with ourselves (congruence), an understanding and unconditional acceptance of others, and see valuing as a continuous process

Question 11

Unconditional positive regard

Answer 11

Accepting oneself/others no matter the things they have done and what they value. Must be done by therapist and client.

Question 12

Formative tendency

Answer 12

Nature strives toward order

Question 13

Parts of the self-concept

Answer 13

We are the center of our own worlds, our structure is consistent and changes with us, and our behavior can be consistent or inconsistent with our values

Question 14

Congruence

Answer 14

Being able to symbolize one’s own experiences and be transparent about them

Question 15

Empathy

Answer 15

Profound interest and care for another person and their reality

Question 16

Reality

Answer 16

The reality perceived by the individual and their experiences

Question 17

Locus of evaluation

Answer 17

Where our values come from; can be internal or external

Question 18

Our perception

Answer 18

• We react to the world based on our own perceptions of reality and self
• Our behavior then attempts to satisfy our needs
• Therapist must understand behavior through the individual’s vantage point (people are doing the best they can)

Question 19

Describe the similarities and differences between client-centered therapy and psychoanalytic therapy.

Answer 19

Differences: Lack of technique, necessary and sufficient conditions, focusing on the client’s perspective, lack of diagnoses, not focused on changing the client’s personality, egalitarian relationship

Similarities: themes of the unconscious, warm approach

Question 20

Theory of psychotherapy (what should this therapy aim to do?)

Answer 20

• Focuses on clients’ capacity for healing
• The therapist cannot possibly decide what the client needs
• Create space for self-healing to occur

Question 21

Necessary and sufficient conditions for therapy

Answer 21

1) Two people in psychological contact
2) Client is in a state of incongruence
3) Therapist is congruent or integrated into the relationship
4) Therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client
5) Therapist experiences an empathetic understanding of the client
6) Client perceives therapists’ empathetic understanding and positive regard

Question 22

Core conditions for therapist

Answer 22

Congruence, unconditional positive regard, empathy

Question 23

Core conditions for client

Answer 23

High external locus of control at the beginning of therapy (locus of eval), not conscious of their own experiences (incongruence), distress is caused by conflicting desires (self-concept)

Question 24

Methods of psychotherapy (how is the therapy conducted?)

Answer 24

Nondirective approach, respect, understanding, recognize implicit feelings/the unconscious, clarify, answer questions without reassurance or advice or judgements

Question 25

Explain Zimring’s new paradigm.

Answer 25

Start with the outside perspective and move to the internal perspective

Question 26

What are some cultural considerations for client-centered therapy?

Answer 26

• Within-group differences can be larger than between-group differences
• Therapists must be aware of their own biases, challenge those biases
• Is the client using their own values of cultural values?

Question 27

What is the evidence base and why is it challenging to examine efficacy for client-centered therapy?

Answer 27

Hard to study in an RTC because sessions are unique and non-manualized; current evidence base is naturalistic and effectiveness studies

Question 28

How should therapists answer questions for their client in client-centered therapy?

Answer 28

Answer questions without reassurance or advice or judgements, remain neutral about solutions

Question 29

What are moments of movement?

Answer 29

A single instance of change/recognition, a step toward a goal