Person-Centered Therapy

The humanistic psychology came out as an answer to the limitations of psychoanalysis and behaviourism. This approach based on the persons’ inevitable drive towards self-actualization, the practice to express and activate all the capacities of the organism (Schneider, 1991). Humanistic therapies focus on self-development, growth and responsibilities. They seek to help individuals recognise their strengths, creativity and choice in the 'here and now', the humanistic therapy also emphasizes a non-judgmental approach, with open-ended questions often employed to encourage the patient to explore his/her thoughts, emotions, and feelings. (Cain, 2002).

Rogers evolved the Client-centered therapy in 1940 based on the humanistic psychology. Rogers adopted his personal experiences as a therapist by creating a new approach what theorises that individuals maintain possession of self-knowledge and self-healing, and personality change and development are possible if a definable climate of facilitative conditions is present. (Rogers, 1951)

According to Natiello (2001) the relationship between client and therapist is the key of the effective therapy. The therapist’s work does not end with knowing the theory of a particular system of therapy, they are also required to constantly make efforts on self-development, and evolve certain qualities, what we can also find in Rogers’ early works.

As a part of a new approach Rogers (1995) described the main characteristics of a helping relationship, what is based on the intend of facilitating growth. But we can discover this type of relationship also in schools, between teacher and student or even by parents, this wide definition shows how unavoidable and natural part of our life the helping relationships are. Those facilitator connections what we are experiencing on a daily basis might be highly profitable, but damaging too. According to the far-reaching experiences, researches are able to highlight the essential attitudes which are required to maximize the efficiency of a helping relationship. Regarding to previous researches, the base of the success is being psychologically mature. If we are capable to constantly develop ourselves and creating an emotional balance, we will be able to help others. Without a thick foundation, the healing relationship won’t be able to fulfil its goal. Only a psychologically mature person is able to consider and provide the most important conditions, which are the followings, according to Rogers (1956):

1. Two persons are in psychological contact: Rogers believed that the growing process requires psychological contact, positive changes won’t occur without a relationship.

2. The client is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or anxious. Our client needs help to actualize its potential, it is our job to keep in mind his/her limitations.

3. The therapist is congruent or integrated in the relationship. The therapist required to be an active part of the process, being mindfulness, paying attention about the client’s feelings and thoughts.

4. The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client.

5. The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the client's internal frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client.

6. The communication to the client of the therapist's empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved.

Rogers believed if the therapist is able to provide and keep in mind the listed conditions, the healing relationship will occur and the conditions for growth are being created.

From the original 6 conditions, 3 became the trademark of the approach and being referred as the core conditions. The three basic principles were frequently discussed and examined by further authors. The cored conditions clearly distinguish the approach from the other therapeutic disciplines, which are the following:

1. Empathy

By Rogers, empathy involves to connected things, perception and communication. Empathy is the capacity to deeply understand what the client is feeling, it is an ongoing process, a focused attention and sensitivity on how other people see themselves and monitoring the world around them. Besides those it is a 2-way communication, the counsellor requires feedback from the patient to make sure the understanding was explicit and right. Being an effective therapist and giving acceptable responses to the clients require learning about perception and communication. Developing perception not only means listening of the story and narrative but more importantly the feelings and emotions. Practicing empathy covers different techniques to evolve understanding, such as voicing, when the counsellor is summarizing,