Person Centred Approach

Explore the Person Centred approach in relation to counselling practice

The roots of the Person Centred approach, now considered a founding work in the Humanistic school of psychotherapies, began formally with Carl Rogers in the 1950’s. Dealing in the 'here and now' and not on the childhood origins of the client's problems, basic assumptions of the Person Centred approach state that clients are essentially trustworthy; that they have a vast potential for understanding themselves and resolving their own problem and that they are capable of self-directed growth when in a therapeutic relationship. In counselling there is a focus on the client’s ability to move in positive directions and towards a single ‘force of life’ called the ‘actualizing
tendency’. This can be defined as the built-in motivation present in every individual to develop its potentials to the fullest extent possible. Tied to this is the belief in the confidence that individuals also have the inner resources to move themselves in such positive directions. It is thought there is a place of wisdom in everyone which tells them where they should be going. In Person Centred counselling in order to satisfy the ‘actualising tendency’, the client needs to learn first what is of value to that growth. This ability to weigh up and to value experiences positively/negatively is the 'organismic valuing process,' and if clients listen to their 'organismic valuing process' they will know what will help move them towards their potential. Difficulties can occur however in both the ability to weigh up and to value experiences and also in efforts to fulfil creative potential. This is because humans value positive self-regard: that is, self-esteem, self-worth, a positive self-image. When society in general and significant others in the client's world such as parents, teachers, peers and the media provide positive regard that is conditional, rather than unconditional, the person interjects the desired values, making them their own, and in doing so acquires ‘conditions of worth’. They bend themself into a shape determined, not by their organismic valuing or actualizing tendency, but by others which may or may not have their best interests at heart. Through this process an ideal self evolves. ‘Ideal’ is something that is not real, something that is always out of reach, where standards are unobtainable. For example when counselling I discovered the ‘ideal’ self of a client who had many unhealthy beliefs such as ‘I shouldn’t get angry,’ ‘I must always succeed at what I set out to do,’ ‘I have to get it right all the time,’ ‘I have to be in control,’ ‘I must meet the standards I set for myself’ and so forth. It turned out that these were her parents conditions of worth, not her own.
The gap between the real self and the ideal self, the “I am” and the “I should”, creates incongruence. Incongruence causes confusion, tension, anxiety and maladaptive behaviour. For my client I found that as one belief after another was compounded on top of each other life became a constant battle to meet all the imposed standards. There was no let up or room for self compassion or failure. This was causing the client much pain and anxiety. Through observing the client’s defences the person centred counsellor can therefore learn where in life the client puts a greater distance between the ‘real’ and ‘ideal’ self by blocking out a threatening situation. They can furthermore observe how by blocking this situation out the client becomes more incongruent and find themselves in more and more threatening situations, to which they develop greater and greater levels of anxiety and use more and more defences. For the client trapped in a vicious cycle, which they are unable to get out of on their own, person centred counselling can be invaluable.
Since the Person Centred counsellor believes that psychological difficulties are caused in the main by blockages of the actualising tendency, the main goal in counselling practice is to release the individual from any constraints or restrictions. If successful, the client is enabled to explore in safety their inner experiences, long denied or distorted, which are inconsistent with their self-concept. There is no final result or end state; rather, a continuing process of change which will hopefully continue after counselling has ended. With the aim to become 'a fully functioning person' through the client being open to experience, having a clear idea of the path to their own fulfilment; being able to trust their ability to know what is good and bad for their own development; accepting themselves for who and what they are and not only on the opinion of others; and accepting responsibility for their own behaviour. This is where ‘experiential freedom’ is important as the client acknowledges the feeling of freedom, and takes responsibility for their choices. With ethics in mind ‘Autonomy’ is the principle that addresses the concept of independence and allowing an individual a freedom of choice and action. In doing this, it must be remembered that the client should be helped to understand how their decisions and their values may or may not be received within the context of the society in which they live, and how they may impinge on the rights of others. Also, a consideration of the client's ability to make sound and rational decisions is necessary and clients not capable of making competent choices should not be allowed to act on decisions that could harm themselves or others.
The role of the person centred counsellor is primarily to promote the conditions for change rather than do things to bring about specific changes.
There are three basic core conditions a counsellor will use to support an individual's natural inclination for positive growth. Firstly there is the act of being congruent. ‘Congruence’ means that in counselling sessions the counsellor's outward responses match their inner awareness and feelings; that they are genuine, real, open, authentic and transparent. ‘Congruence’ is not a question of the counsellor blurting out compulsively every passing feeling; rather it is a state of being. Feelings only are to be expressed when they are persistent and of great strength and when communication of them assists the therapeutic process. In endeavouring to be so open the counsellor acts as a role model sending the message that it’s ok to feel and communicate feelings. In order to develop and maintain ‘congruence’ counsellors need to constantly work at being aware of their underlying feelings and also to realise the importance of having supervision and working on their own personal growth. As the counsellor I have felt most congruent when naturally being myself and not thinking too hard about how I should act towards the client. As an observer I have witnessed ‘congruence’ when the counsellor has given a genuine statement about how the client’s situation affected them. The client stated they felt overwhelmed by their circumstances. The
counsellor responded by saying ‘if I’m honest I feel overwhelmed also by all you have just told me, so I can understand how it must be making you feel that way, that is a lot to deal with.’ This was a relief to the client to know they weren’t over-reacting to the situation, and the risk of being open, honest and congruent paid off in this instance.
Secondly there is the core condition of ‘Empathy’.
‘Empathy’ in counselling practice is the process of the counsellor understanding the client ‘as if’ they were that person but without ever losing the ‘as if’ quality. If the ‘as if’ quality is lost then the process can become one of identification whereby the counsellor is no longer understanding the event from the client's ‘internal frame of reference’ but rather from their own experience of a similar event. Moving away from an ‘external frame of reference’ of the counsellor judging, advising, preaching or moralising is paramount. In sessions when clients experience their counsellors as deeply empathic they are helped to explore their inner selves more profoundly and change is more likely to occur. Alienated clients also feel more connected and less
isolated.
Thirdly there is the core condition of ‘Unconditional Positive Regard’. In counselling practice ‘Unconditional Positive Regard’ on the part of the counsellor means that the counsellor offers the client respect, acceptance (it does not have to be approval) caring and appreciation regardless of the client's attitude or behaviour. This condition is important because it contradicts the clients' former beliefs that they are only valued if they behave as required by significant others. There is no longer any need for the client to shy away from aspects of his inner self which may be painful or shameful because they learn that it is possible to be true and open and still be accepted.
Roger’s felt that the core conditions are necessary and sufficient to help the client improve, even if no other special techniques are used. To the contrary he felt that if the therapist does not show these three qualities the client's improvement will be minimal, no matter how many techniques are used. Through displays of the core conditions clients will explore their difficulties and natural competencies in this productive environment, which will then lead to a clearer picture of themselves and their potential. As clients' pictures of themselves become more accurate, they become better able to act in ways that are most in line with their true self (congruence). This in turn will lead to more self-confidence, self-understanding, and better choices.
Person Centred theory believes that in order for clients to free themselves from being stuck due to the conditions and conflict of the outside world that the therapeutic relationship between counsellor and client needs to flourish. The presence of the core conditions and a sense of safety and trust in the relationship appear to be the required prerequisites for ‘relational depth’ to emerge in the partnership. With ‘relational depth’ counsellors and clients are able to move beyond a vision of the relationship as merely a backdrop to therapeutic work, and to begin to explore the moments when the possibility of being able to relate more fully to another person can have a life-enhancing effects. It can be described as a state of contact and engagement between two people, in which each person is fully real with the other, and able to understand and value the other’s experiences at a deeper existential level. It is often difficult to verbalise but can be characterised by a sense of silent connection / unity between both parties. The counsellor will be relaxed and close to their intuitive self and may touch the unknown in the self. The intensity of eye contact between the parties in the therapeutic alliance often deepens, which leads to an even greater sense of felt closeness. With the closeness both the client and the counsellor become deeply authentic, defences drop away and the counsellor and client become willing transparently to travel into the emotionally unknown together.
Dave Mearns illustrates ‘relational depth’ when he talks of a sheer sense of connection that he experienced with some of his clients. He states ‘it was not all the time, but at some moments, I would have this sense of my client and I being deeply connected to each other: engaged, enmeshed, intertwined. It was as if, when I ‘turned’ I affected my clients, and, when they ‘turned’ they affected me; and although, at these times, the pace of the therapeutic work was much slower, I had a profound sense of genuine human contact.’ (Mearns & Cooper, 2005, P.viii) In counselling practice ‘relational depth’ is not always two ways, and can still produce benefits when just one way. In sessions for example disturbed clients may never acknowledge the counsellor reaching out to them, but this doesn’t mean that they haven’t experienced it. At some point down the line it becomes apparent that the client has felt it when they recall something the counsellor did. Dave Mearns case study entitled ‘Peter’s Day’ is an example of how relational depth evolves despite there being only one way contact. Mearns explains how Peter started the day screaming ‘Will you stop fuckin’ loving me!’ yet Mearns continued to reach out to Peter and noted ‘he looked me straight in the face – in truth he liked me a lot and I liked him. But the secret was not to openly show it’. He concludes: ‘it turns out no matter how ‘damaged’ individuals such as Peter are there is always a part of them, sometimes a very small part, that does indeed want to be in relationship, even wants to be loved. The secret is to meet them on their terms.’ (Mearns & Cooper, 2005, p.x.) Through ‘relational depth’ the counsellor is able, often non-verbally, to communicate to the client that they have gained entry into and understands the client’s perceptual world. Whilst these instances can feel ‘risky’ they are very pivotal to the therapeutic process. As this intimacy between the client and counsellor intensifies it organically leads the client to a more profound understanding of self and a reported positive change in the way in which they relate to others, and these instances of closeness remain memorable.
The question arises is it unethical to have such contact/relational depth with a client? The ethical principle of fidelity involves the notions of loyalty, faithfulness, and honouring commitments. Clients must be able to trust the counsellor and have faith in the therapeutic relationship if growth is to occur. The level of disclosure and the relationships that are formed between clients and counsellors however often means that information discussed is of a very detailed and personal nature to the client, and may involve several other parties. Determining the appropriate course to take when faced with a difficult ethical dilemma can be a challenge, especially as the need for trust in the client-counsellor relationship is so vital for success.
In conclusion Person Centred theory can be seen in Person Centred counselling from the outset when the client portrays self-destructive or self denying behaviours that reinforce a negative self concept, yet the counsellor provides a safe, validating environment for the client to explore, examine and accept the whole of their self. The client’s inner self is unearthed by the counsellor engaging in the ‘here and now’ and at times self disclosing if it will be of benefit to the client or the client-counsellor relationship in helping to get to the core. The counsellor remains transparently real with the client, setting boundaries by being separate from the client whilst remaining empathic, caring and accepting of all aspects of the client. The counsellor is actively present and this it is an indicator to the client that they have cleared a space and are there and committed to them. The client has a sense of being met, held, heard and seen. When the client feels equal to and valued by the counsellor at this stage of the process they can begin to see that if someone else can accept and be interested in all sides of them then they themselves can be too. All aspects, both negative and positive can then be owned and integrated by the client into a more realistic healthier self-concept and a fully-functioning person begins to develop.