Person Centered Therapy

What is person-centered therapy?

One of the most commonly employed therapies in mental health issues and psychotherapy is “person-centered” therapy or PCT as it is sometimes called. It is oftentimes referred to as client-centered therapy, person-centered counseling, person-centered psychotherapy, or Rogerian psychotherapy. This therapy was originally developed and employed during the 1940’s and 1950’s by noted psychologist Carl Rogers. It plays a significant role with counselors and psychologists who use psychotherapy to treat their clients.

What is the primary function of PCT?

The primary function of using person-centered therapy is to create a non-judgmental and comfortable environment for the individual wherein the therapist demonstrates empathy, genuineness, and a positive, unconditional regard for their clients and their situation. The benefit of this non-directive approach is that it enables the client to find solutions to their own problems.

Surprisingly, the technique is oftentimes criticized by behaviorists because they feel it lacks structure. Additionally, psychoanalysts tend to criticize PCT because they feel that it promotes a conditional relationship. Fortunately, person-centered therapy has been proven to be highly effective and is now one of the more popular therapies being used when treating clients. This especially true where drug addiction treatment and recovery programs are concerned.

The core concepts of PCT

When Carl Rogers was initially developing person-centered therapy from 1957 to 1959, he stated that therapeutic change requires 6 necessary conditions in order for it to be effective. They were as follows:

Client-Therapist psychological contact – there must be a relationship initially developed between the client and his or her therapist. Additionally, this relationship must be one in which the perception that one person has of the other is of the utmost importance.

1. Client incongruence – this is also referred to as client vulnerability and it typically exists between the awareness that the client has and what they have experienced. The client is viewed as being vulnerable to their anxiety which usually motivates them to maintaining the relationship that has developed.
2. Therapist congruence – also known as therapist genuineness, meaning that they are deeply involved in the relationship they have with the client and are not just acting. They can also draw on their own past experiences in order to maintain the relationship.
3. Therapist UPR (Unconditional Positive Regard) – the client is accepted unconditionally by their therapist meaning without approval, disapproval, or judgment. This facilitates the client having increased self-regard.
4. Therapist Empathetic understanding – once the client’s internal frame of recognized by the therapist, the therapist develops an empathetic understanding of that framework.
5. Client perception – to a minimal degree at the least, the client perceives the empathetic understanding and UPR that the therapist has for them.

For more information regarding how the Delray Recovery Center employs person-centered therapy in their addiction treatment and recovery programs, please contact us so that one of our caring staff members can answer your questions. We are always available to assist you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week should you or a loved one have a substance dependency problem and would like our help.