CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING Running head: CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING

Personal Theory of Counseling Literature Review Client-Centered Counseling Nicole L. Caron Seattle University

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING Abstract This literature review examines Carl Rogers model of client-centered therapy from the existential-humanistic tradition. This paper explores the details of client-centered therapy and

how client centered-therapists view health and dysfunction, the process of change that happens in client-centered counseling, and the dynamic relationship between the therapist and client. In addition, the research will provide the reader with how I will personally use this theory in the counseling field, how this theory works with a multi-cultural population, and how client-centered therapy works with social justice advocacy. Finally, this research paper will conclude with a critique of the model, how it can be applied in a school setting, a reflection of how it was to write this paper, and the future direction I will take with this theory.

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING Client-Centered Counseling Introduction and Rationale Carl Rogers created client-centered therapy, which is part on the existential-humanistic tradition, in the 1950s. The existential-humanistic tradition has three models, client-centered counseling being the second. Even though there are three models, Rogerss faith in the

individual and importance of the counselor-client relationship remains constant. The three stages of existential-humanistic tradition begin with the nondirective period, moves to the clientcentered period, and ends with the person-centered period. The nondirective period began in the 1940s and is structured around the importance and acceptance of the client, and a nonjudgmental counselor-client relationship. The second stage, the client-centered period, began in the 1950s. This period centers on helping the client resolve issues between the ideal self and real self, as well as helps the client to see how he can avoid personally threatening situations. The final period, person-centered, began in 1961 and focuses on more personal involvement and emphasizes the importance on relational issues (DAndrea, M., Ivey A., & Ivey, M. 2012) I chose to focus mainly on the client-centered model of this theory because I support the fact that this model places a major influence of the counselor being an accepting and authentic person and the importance of the client unraveling their own issues, taking brave steps, without the counselor doing this for them. Rogerss emphasis on creating and exploring a testable hypothesis was the first effort to bring the aspects of behavioral psychology to understanding psychotherapy (Weiner, 1991). I have decided to choose this counseling theory because I enjoy how this theory stresses the emphasis on the client taking control of his own life, and acting positively in society. Clientcentered therapy focuses on the here and now; which are the thoughts the client is having at that

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING moment in the counselors office. I also greatly appreciate Rogers notions of unconditional

positive regard, complete authenticity, and empathetic understanding when working with each and every one of his clients. This theory fits well with the person I am because I am a very positive, and always try to encourage people to reach for their goals and to be their authentic self. I also like the aspect of staying as genuine and authentic as possible. I think clients can sense this when they are in a counseling session, and this will make them appreciate, and want to open up more, then if the counselor is not being his true self. According Weiner (1991), the research on client-centered therapy has suggested that Rogers work has influenced many and is used in a number of counseling practices across the United States, and Western Europe. In 1988 there was a 25th anniversary celebration of clientcentered therapy where there was a major conference in which many scholars attended. Individuals continue to learn about Rogerss theory and how he has impacted the counseling and psychology fields. Health, Dysfunction, and Multiculturalism According to the client-centered theory, healthy healing will come when the client is able to organize and separate the ideal self from the real self. The client needs to accept himself and not carry guilty about the behaviors or actions he has taken in the past. A person is not functioning properly when the two are mixed up and one cannot separate the real from the ideal self. It is also believed that a person cannot function properly if they cannot see insight into their own lives or if they are living a life of un-authenticity. Rogers hypothesized that a confused client is one of the necessary conditions for effective therapy (Levant & Shlien, 1984). Client-centered therapists believe that in order for a client to be healthy, it is necessary

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for the client to be aware of responses and demands of his organism; and he needs to understand them (Lietaeur, G., Rombaus, J., & Van Balen, R, 1990). I think these descriptions of how a client-centered therapist views health is accurate and very important areas to explore with clients. If a client is confused about who they really are and are carrying around a heavy load of guilt with them, they are never going to be able to accept their true self. Getting rid of this guilt is an important step in the healing process. It is also important for a client to be able to separate who them are from who they think they should be. People, especially adolescents, are told daily what they should be doing and how they should be acting. They are constantly being compared to siblings, peers, and relatives. It is easy to see how an adolescent can feel guilt if he does not think they are measuring up to these standards. Clients need the tools and guidance to be able to separate who they are from who they think they should be because of characteristics that have been unwillingly pushed onto them. These definitions do take multiculturalism into account. Many multi-cultural advocates have supported Rogerss work because of the positive philosophy surrounding the theory. Many people who are in a minority group have often been faced with negative comments and situations. Having someone who is positive in their life, that is able to help them separate their real self with their ideal self, is going to help someone who have been marginalized in their life (DAndrea et, al). Process of Change The process of change for the client is an important aspect of client-centered therapy. The client learns new aspects of himself, new ways of behaving, and new ways to relate to others. According to Rogers (1961), there are five main areas where researchers have explored the process of change in the client. The steps to the process of change in client-centered

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counseling are; change in the material presented, change in perceptions and attitudes towards the clients self, change in the manner of perception, the movement towards awareness of denied experience, and a movement in the value process. One of the first aspects of change in client-centered therapy is the movement in the type of verbal dialogue presented by the client. When the client first begins therapy it is most common found that he would talk about his problems and symptoms for the majority of the time. But, over time the client will replace this dialogue with insightful statements, linking his past and present relationships with his current and previous behavior. The next step, the change in perception and attitudes towards the self, is where the individual changes in three general ways. The client perceives himself with more worth, he achieves a more realistic view of himself, his relationships, and environment, and finally he will start to put standards within himself and recognize the good or bad experiences he will face during every day situations. The third step, the change in the manner of perception, is a very important step for the client according to client-centered therapists. This is where the client will begin to see his experiences, his self, other persons, and his feelings changing in a positive way. The client will begin to accept himself as a differentiated person and will move from generalizing a negative experience to finding the positive, even if it is small, in the situation. The fourth step, the movement toward awareness of denied experiences, is when the client will bring repressed material to life, and is able to resolve issues or feelings he has with this material. The final process of change, movement in the value process, happens when the client moves from living by values influenced by others and his environment, to seeing that he has been living by what others think, ignoring his true self. With time the client will begin to build his own set of values and be able to live as his authentic self (Rogers, 1961). I think these

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five steps are extremely and important and relevant when working with a client. The steps are all happening in areas where many people need the help to change, especially the process of bringing repressed material to life. Clients are not going to be able to go through the proper healing process if they have repressed issues, which may be the cause of why the client is in counseling. Therapeutic Goals Client-centered therapy focuses on three main goals. The goals of client-centered therapy are to help the client resolve issues between the ideal self and real self, help the client to avoid personally threatening situations, and therapeutic personality change, which allows the client to express and accept their true feelings (Lietaer et al., 1990). Separating the ideal self from the real self is an important goal for a client because it is not until then that the client can start separating his own feelings from feelings that has been pushed onto him. Once the client is able to separate the real self from the ideal self he is able to see himself as a worthy individual in society. Quite often people are expected to perform a certain way because of traits and characteristics others have expected of them. These issues need to be explored in order for healing to occur. For example, a mother that has struck her child needs to be able to separate the ideal self, person as a perfect mother and the real self, a mother who hits her child out of annoyance or stress. By eliminating the stress between the mother and child, she is able to realize new ways to deal with it and to become a better individual (DAndrea et al., 2012). A client who is working with a client-centered therapist will often find himself being able to express his true feelings to family members and to others for the first time. Rogers (1961) says, It is as though that the client discovers in therapy that it is possible to drop the

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING mask he has been wearing, and become more genuinely himself (p. 315). When a person is

finally able to drop this mask is when he will free himself to be the person he wants to be, which is a major success in the client-centered theory. Therapeutic Alliance The therapeutic alliance is an extremely important aspect of client-centered therapy. Carl Rogers emphasizes how important the relationship is between the counselor and client and how the counselor need to be warm and responsive to make the relationship work. According to Rogers, regarding the client-counselor relationship (1942), It expresses itself in a genuine interest in the client as an acceptance of him as a person. The counselor frankly realizes that he becomes to some extent emotionally involved in the relationship. He does not pretend to be superhuman and above the possibility of improvement. He is sufficiently sensitive to the needs of the client, however, to control his own identification in order to serve best the person he is helping. (p. 87) Clearly Rogers places a lot of emphasis on the relationship and how important it is to be authentic and accepting for the client to see change. According to Rogers (1942), the client-centered relationship is an open and nonjudgmental alliance between the counselor and client. A client-centered therapist should remove his own morals and judgments to provide the client with an atmosphere where he is not afraid to share anything about his life. This relationship is different then other relationships the client experiences because he is encouraged to bring in unspoken attitudes, forbidden impulses, and complications with his life. The counselor needs to be genuine and non-judgmental for the relationship to blossom into a trusting, open atmosphere.

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING The relationship between the counselor and client is free from all pressure. A skillful client-centered counselor will not input any of his own biases or wishes towards the client. Rogers explains the importance of the hour of counseling being the clients hour to vent all feelings and emotions without any inclination of what the counselor might be thinking (Rogers, 1942). Role of Counselor and Client Both the roles of the counselor and the client are very significant in client-centered therapy. The counselor plays many roles while working with the client. It is important for a client-centered therapist to clarify and embody the clients feelings. Rogers says (1951), As material is given by the client, it is the therapists function to help him recognize and clarify the

emotions which he feels (p.27). It is also important for the counselor to check in with the client so he is on the right track with what the client is saying and feeling. Another important role of the counselor is to play an empathetic, active listener who responds in a gentle tone of voice. An accepting tone of voice will encourage the client to go into further detail about the situation at hand. The counselor puts a great significance of worth and trust in the client. This worth will give the client the confidence he needs to come out from the shadows of what others expect him to be. The counselor should also try to perceive the world as the client sees it, and to leave aside all biases and opinions on what the client is bringing to the table. A client-centered counselor should show unconditional positive regard, and provide a warm, supportive environment for the client to open up to (Rogers, 1951). In the beginning of the relationship the clients role is to experience a feeling of safely and acceptance in any attitude he is expressing toward the counselor. This allows the client to

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perceive the purpose and meaning to aspects of his behavior. His job is to perceive why he has felt guilty about his behavior and to become aware of his actions. The client is to open up to the counselor about anything difficult he may be experiencing. He is not to hold back on feelings or thoughts and will realize that his new alter ego, the counselor, finds acceptance in his feelings. He then learns that he too can accept his own feelings and attitudes and can experience these feelings without guilt. He is able to do this because he has seen another person justify and accept his feelings (Hart & Tomlinson, 1970). Techniques and Approaches When using this theory I would use several of the techniques and applications. First of all, I think it is extremely important for a client to step into a warm, non-judgmental, accepting atmosphere when first attending a counseling session. This will set the client up for wanting to share things they do not feel comfortable sharing with others. I can also see myself using unconditional positive regard and empathetic statements when working with clients. Some people are so broken down when they come to counseling that they need someone there to support them while they are discussing their issues. As a client-centered counselor I can see myself encouraging the client to find his own answers to his problems and not just seeking answers from the counselor. I can encourage the client to find his own answers by carefully listening and not showing any type of judgment when a client talks about his issues and feelings he is having. This needs to happen even in a situation where the client brings an issue to the table that I feel strongly opposed to. Social Justice This theory fits with social justice advocacy theory because it can be used to help people find their own voices and confidence in themselves. One of the main goals in the client-centered

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING approach is to help the client to come out from behind the mask he has been wearing. This works well with social justice advocacy because if a client can find his own voice, then he will be able to express his own beliefs towards certain situations, and be able to create positive change. Finding confidence will allow the client to stand up for what he believes in and to become a positive change advocate for his race, gender, sexuality, etc. The client will not be

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able to accomplish his goals and live up to his full potential if he does not have a strong sense of self worth. A client-centered therapist would balance in-office and out-of-office interventions by starting in the area where the most work, or most severe work, is needed. If a client is not able to succeed in school because of issues going on at home the counselor mite need to have a session with the family to uncover the repressed material. If the counselor starts in the office and moves to the community this will help the counselor to understand exactly where the client is having issues and he can take that information to help what is going on in the community or at the clients home. Critique Like any counseling theory, there are a number of strengths, as well as weaknesses, when it comes to client-centered counseling. The strengths in client-centered counseling include; it can be used by a wide range of populations, the client develops the skills he needs to make changes happen on his own, it is favored by people with disabilities, and people can determine their own destiny (Johnson, 2011). Client-centered counseling can be used in school settings, community settings, hospitals, and private practice. It can also be used with a wide range of age groups, and even children. Client centered therapy can also increase someone self-esteem a great deal. During a counseling session the client is encountering encouraging phrases and getting

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING their feelings justified by the counselor. The client is also in charge of creating change in his

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life. This can help the client to see that he is worthy and he can do things on his own. This can help a persons self-esteem and confidence a great deal (Lago, 2011). On the other hand, there are also some limitations to this practice. Since client-centered therapy is based a great deal on the client determining his own future and the meaning of life, some clients might withdraw; avoid reality, and the work it takes to accomplish healthy change. Also, this approach might not work for someone who is the type of person who needs answers here and now. Many people who are in marginalized groups might need strong action in a situation they are in. The slow process and healing time of client-centered therapy would not fit well with someone in this situation. Finally, Johnson (2011) argues, even though the clientcentered approach is favored by people with disabilities, the psycho-emotional effects of the disability are seldom addressed, which can result in the client not discovering the proper healing process. Application I can see myself using this theory when working as a school counselor. I think students will be more inclined to open up to someone who is positive and who seems to be on their side. Students who are in school face a tremendous amount of stress that many people, including their parents are unaware of. For a student to be able to vent to a counselor, and be shown acceptance and unconditional positive regard, this is going to help the student get rid of the heavy burden of stress he might be carrying around with him. I believe it is essential, when working as a school counselor, to give students the freedom to believe they can accomplish anything with hard work and dedication. Some students are not getting this positive encouragement at home or in their peer groups, and it is an important role of

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a counselor to provide this support because we really do not know what one can accomplish, and it would be a shame for a student not to succeed because his or her school counselor did not think he or she could reach a certain potential. Reflection This paper gave me a great insight and understanding to client-centered counseling. It showed me that this model has changed over time but the foundation on the theory remains constant. It was interesting to read others perspectives, even negative, on the theory and how it has changed peoples lives and led them into a healthy life. It was interesting to dive into a theory and not just get the basic understanding of it, but the in-depth information one needs to know when practicing this theory. Future Directions In terms of theory and usage of client-centered counseling, I think it would help if I watched more vide tapes of counselors actually using this approach. Watching the counselors body language, questions, and empathetic statements will help me to gain the tools I need for using this theory in a school system. I also think it would help to talk to counselors who have used this theory to ask them questions about their experience with using the client-centered model. I can read about concepts and key components of this theory but actually talking with someone, or watching someone, use this theory will help me to see how this model is really applied. I have taken away a great amount of knowledge and insight about the multiple different theories we have talked about this quarter. I think to gain a better understanding of the theories more research and attention to detail needs to be paid attention to for each theory that I am really interested in. I think this term has provided me with an excellent foundation of the theories and

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models. But, reading more about them, and watching videos of professions will help me to build the tools I will need to use the theories properly.

CLIENT-CENTERED COUNSELING References

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D Andrea, M. J., Ivey, A. E, & Ivey, M. B. (2012). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy. A multicultural perspective. Thousand Oaks: CA. SAGE Publications, Inc. Hart, J. T., & Tomilson, T.M. (1970). New directions in client-centered therapy. Boston:MA. Houghton Mifflin Company. Johnson, C. (2011). Disabling barriers in the person-centered counseling relationship. PersonCentered & Experimental Psychotherapies (10), 260-273. Lago, C. (2011). Diversity, oppression, and society: Implications for person-centered Therapists. Person-Centered & Experimental Psychotherapies (10), 235-247. Levant, R. F. & Shlien, J. M. (1984). Client-centered therapy and the person-centered approach: New directions in theory, research, and practice. New York:NY. Praeger Publishers. Lietaer, G., Rombauts, J., & Van Balen, R. (1990). Client-centered and experimenial psychotherapy in the nineties. Louvain: Krakenstraar. Leuven University Press. Rogers, C. R. (1942). Counseling and psychotherapy. Cambridge, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. Rogers, C. R. (1951). Client-centered therapy. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. Rogers, C. R. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapists view of psychotherapy. New York: NY. Houghton Mifflin Company. Weiner, I. B. (1991). Developments in client-centered therapy. Psyccritiques, 36(11), 1002. doi:10.1037/030400

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