Person-Centered Therapy

What is Person-Centered Therapy? 

A psychotherapy type with many names – client-centered therapy, Rogerian therapy – person-centered therapy is an approach developed by none other than Carl Rogers in 1940. What led him to develop this approach was his belief in two things: an individual’s potential and their desire to change. Hence, he decided, in contrast to psychoanalysis (the approach popular during his time based on the belief a person’s present is shaped by their past), he created person-centered therapy. 

Now, what made his approach different then, and truth be told even now, is that clients are considered independent and capable of finding their own solutions to problems and concerns. They aren’t seen as helpless in their struggle; therefore, as a result, clients in this approach are given the reins during a session. There is no pressure nor agenda to be followed and the duration, speed, and even content of the conversation will all be up to the client. The role of the therapist then becomes a mix of the following: a friend who listens and supports and a mirror or sounding board who repeats statements of the client to aid in discovery, realization, and even acceptance.

One important thing to note and remember in this approach is that a therapist must call and consider the person who set an appointment with them a “client” rather than a “patient”. This reinforces the idea that the client is capable and that their input and experiences are just as important, valid, and valuable as the therapist’s.

When It's Used?

Though we leave it up to professional therapists and mental health practitioners to decide when to use this psychotherapy approach, here’s a list of possible situations, issues, or diagnoses where you can give person-centered therapy a shot:

• Crisis intervention
• Stress management
• Relationship concerns/problems
• An abundance of negative thoughts
• Substance abuse
• Mental disorders including, but not limited to personality, panic, anxiety, eating, psychotic, and mood.

To add, you can also use person-centered therapy:

• In both individual and group settings
• For long and short-term
• With adolescents and adults.

If the change in approach is uncomfortable for you initially, you may combine the two approaches or at least apply one or two  person-centered techniques in your preferred therapeutic approach. Not only is this possible, but according to case studies and research, it’s also helpful and enriches a session with a client.

How does Person-Centered Therapy work? 

Think that you want to give person-centered therapy work, but you still need further clarification on how it works? Or perhaps, you’re wondering what usually happens in a session? 

Well, here’s a quick rundown of the session’s structure of sorts:

Step One. One of the most essential, if not the most important, is that the therapist creates an environment that encourages the client to share without the fear of being silenced or judged. The therapist should establish this early on and maintain it throughout the session as much as possible. 

Step Two. Once the therapist has set up a comfortable environment, they may proceed to break the ice by asking the client why they’ve set an appointment.

Step Three. As the client explains, the therapist steps into the combined role of a friend, mirror, and sounding board. 

Step Four. At this point, the client is free to steer the session however they want while the therapist does the following: 

• Listen attentively to the client’s story
• Repeat certain phrases from the client that may need clarification
• Ask follow-up questions and be all ears for their answers

By the end of the session, a client and the therapist may not necessarily come up with a traditional or usual solution similar to other psychotherapy approaches, although, should the client insist, they may. Rather, they may come to a conclusion in the form of a client’s understanding of a situation or acceptance of feelings.

Benefits and Research

Still not convinced to include person-centered therapy or its techniques in your practice? Here’s a list of the benefits, based on case studies and research, of incorporating patient-centered therapy in one’s practice: 

• Having a teamwork relationship between the client and therapist and applying techniques and conditions such as genuineness/realness/congruence, unconditional positive regard, and emphatic understanding improves therapeutic outcomes and produces more positive treatment results.
• Helps therapists create personalized approaches to dealing with client’s concerns. They can know more about the client’s coping strategies and mental well-being and lead them to a realization of alternative and less harmful solutions to their problems.
• It positively challenges a therapist’s beliefs and perspectives (Corey, 2017), hopefully encouraging them to reflect on their set perspectives and beliefs. As a possible consequence, a therapist will be more open-minded and creative, especially when coming up with a unique therapeutic style they can apply to various clients with different backgrounds.

Person-Centered Therapy app – How Carepatron can help?

With Carepatron, a leading software management platform, you can streamline business and clinical processes so that most of your time and effort is spent on building a trusting relationship with your client. We will equip you with the means and tools to help with your person-centered therapy sessions and administrative tasks. 

Simply download our app, available on desktop, iOs, and Android and you’ll get all of these features for free:

• Software applications for easy scheduling to reduce no-show appointments and for long-distance or emergency telehealth consultations
• Resources not limited to templates and guides on different types of therapy approaches
• A HIPAA-compliant and secure EHR for digital notes you want to make after your session
• An automated payment system you can set up for your client. 

All these and more are waiting for you on Carepatron! Sign up and get access today. 

References

Better relationships with patients lead to better outcomes. (2023). Retrieved 25 April 2023, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/11/ce-corner-relationships

Corey, G. (2017). Person-Centered Therapy. In Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (Tenth Edition, pp. 163–195). essay, Cengage. 

Elliott, R., Bohart, A. C., Watson, J. C., & Murphy, D. (2018). Therapist empathy and client outcome: An updated meta-analysis. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 399–410. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000175

Farber, B. A., Suzuki, J. Y., & Lynch, D. A. (2018). Positive regard and psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analytic review. Psychotherapy, 55(4), 411–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000171

Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications, and Theory. London: Constable.

Rogers, Carl R. (1980). Way of Being. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.