What are the critical elements of client-centered therapy?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

ANSWER:
According to Rogers, empathy is the ability to understand a client’s feelings and thoughts without being judgmental. The therapist does not express disapproval toward the client but rather indicates understanding of the client’s feelings. Conveying empathy involves actively listening to the client—making eye contact, nodding as the client speaks, and assuming an interested and attentive pose. Empathy also involves reflection. The therapist restates, repeats, or summarizes the thoughts and feelings that he or she hears the client express. Reflected statements communicate to the client the active attention of the therapist and mirror the client’s perceptions and views of reality.
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A second key therapist quality in client-centered therapy is genuineness. Genuineness is the ability to openly share one’s thoughts and feelings with others. The therapist expresses his or her true feelings and thoughts to the client and does not hide behind the mask of being the “professional,” “doctor,” or authority figure. The therapist self-discloses a fair amount to the client, which allows the client to see the therapist as a real, living person. Such disclosure also creates an open environment that promotes trust and an honest expression of thoughts and feelings.
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The third key quality in client-centered therapy, unconditional positive regard, was introduced in the chapter on personality. Recall that Rogers defined unconditional positive regard as the ability to accept and value a person for who he or she is, regardless of his or her faults or problems. Rogers believed that receiving unconditional positive regard in one’s childhood is a key factor in healthy personality adjustment. A therapist who offers unconditional positive regard to a client does not indicate shock, dismay, or disapproval to any client statements. Instead, the therapist communicates caring and respect toward the client regard- less of what the client says.