Person-centered Therapy Flashcards
Empathy
validating the client’s experience = understand person’s experience and feelings in the here and now, and communicate that the therapist understands; important for building rapport and facilitates feelings of trust and mutual respect between client and therapist; understand what it feels like to be in client’s world without analyzing or judging & client perceives therapist’s understanding
Multicultural empathy
understanding clients from other life backgrounds (ethnicity, SES, age cohort, gender, etc); learning about the culture of clients and appreciating life from their perspective
Empathy Skills
ask questions in a respectfully curious manner, listen carefully, explain back what you think client is telling you in your words (emotional understanding); reflect and clarify client’s communication; active listening
Genuineness
being authentic = free of dishonesty and hypocrisy; be true to yourself within therapeutic relationship - allow client to view therapist as human being; authentic reactions; self-disclosure
4 factors related to genuineness
supporting nonverbal behaviors - eye contact, full attention, nodding, nonverbals need to match the conversation; role behavior - therapist and client are equal partners and work together, beware of authority behaviors; congruence - therapist words, nonverbal behaviors and feelings match each other in interaction with client; spontaneity - responses and feedback provided “in the moment”
Positive regard
Show client that they are valued and what they say is important; deep and genuine caring; may not approve of client’s actions but approves/values client
Communicating positive regard
commitment - dedicated to working with the client on whatever issues; nonjudgmental attitude - can accept and understand client’s perspective, thoughts, feelings, actions without agreeing with them; warmth - tone of voice, facial expressions, and body posture, thoughtfulness of responses
Active Listening
receive a message (verbal & nonverbal), process it, and send it back; clarification, paraphrasing & reflection, themes & summarization
Clarification
simplify a message sent by client or help confirm the accuracy of what the therapist think they understood
Paraphrasing & Reflection
restating client’s main thoughts in a different way or reflecting back the emotions the client is currently experiencing - client can hear their words and react with more detailed response - deeper understanding and feeling of being heard and understood.
Listening for themes & summarization
client’s thoughts, feelings and behavior often become thematic across situations; summarize thematic content = condensed phrasing of the client’s responses over specific period of time - rephrase themes and repeat back to client for clarification
Beliefs
everyone is potentially competent individual, moving towards self-actualization; no techniques, but the relationship is the critical variable; need to provide the right climate to tap the innate resources within individual; we behave the way we do because of the way we perceive our situation
incongruence
gap/difference between ideal and actual self - therapist’s role is to reverse this;
self-concept
organized, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about oneself - all ideas/values for oneself, including what I am and what I can do
non-directive
client leads; client is responsible for improving his/her life; therapist listens and encourages on equal level with client consciously/rationally deciding for themselves what is wrong and what to do
