PART 15: Therapy

44.3 Humanistic Therapies

44-3 What are the basic themes of humanistic therapy? What are the specific goals and techniques of Rogers’ client-centered approach?

insight therapies a variety of therapies that aim to improve psychological functioning by increasing a person’s awareness of underlying motives and defenses.

The humanistic perspective emphasizes people’s inherent potential for self-fulfillment. Not surprisingly, humanistic therapies attempt to reduce the inner conflicts that interfere with natural development and growth. To achieve this goal, humanistic therapists try to give clients new insights. Indeed, because they share this goal, the psychodynamic and humanistic therapies are often referred to as insight therapies. But humanistic therapies differ from psychodynamic therapies in many other ways:

Humanistic therapists aim to boost people’s self-fulfillment by helping them grow in self-awareness and self-acceptance.
Promoting this growth, not curing illness, is the therapy focus. Thus, those in therapy became “clients” or just “persons” rather than “patients” (a change many other therapists have adopted).
The path to growth is taking immediate responsibility for one’s feelings and actions, rather than uncovering hidden causes.
Conscious thoughts are more important than the unconscious.
The present and future are more important than the past. Therapy thus focuses on exploring feelings as they occur, rather than achieving insight into the childhood origins of those feelings.

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client-centered therapy a humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathic environment to facilitate clients’ growth. (Also called person-centered therapy.)

All these themes are present in the widely used humanistic technique that Carl Rogers (1902-1987) developed and called client-centered therapy. In this nondirective therapy, the therapist listens, without judging or interpreting, and refrains from directing the client toward certain insights.

Believing that most people possess the resources for growth, Rogers (1961, 1980) encouraged therapists to foster that growth by exhibiting genuineness, acceptance, and empathy. By being genuine, therapists hope to encourage clients to likewise express their true feelings. By being accepting, therapists may help clients feel freer and more open to change. By showing empathy—by sensing and reflecting their clients’ feelings—therapists can help clients experience a deeper self-understanding and self-acceptance (Hill & Nakayama, 2000). As Rogers (1980, p. 10) explained:

Hearing has consequences. When I truly hear a person and the meanings that are important to him at that moment, hearing not simply his words, but him, and when I let him know that I have heard his own private personal meanings, many things happen. There is first of all a grateful look. He feels released. He wants to tell me more about his world. He surges forth in a new sense of freedom. He becomes more open to the process of change.

I have often noticed that the more deeply I hear the meanings of the person, the more there is that happens. Almost always, when a person realizes he has been deeply heard, his eyes moisten. I think in some real sense he is weeping for joy. It is as though he were saying, “Thank God, somebody heard me. Someone knows what it’s like to be me.”

active listening empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Rogers’ client-centered therapy.

“We have two ears and one mouth that we may listen the more and talk the less.”

Zeno, 335–263 B.C.E., Diogenes Laertius

To Rogers, “hearing” was active listening. The therapist echoes, restates, and clarifies what the client has expressed verbally or nonverbally. The therapist also acknowledges those expressed feelings. Active listening is now an accepted part of counseling practices in many schools, colleges, and clinics. Counselors listen attentively. They interrupt only to restate and confirm feelings, to accept what was said, or to check their understanding of something. In the following brief excerpt, note how Rogers tried to provide a psychological mirror that would help the client see himself more clearly:

Rogers: Feeling that now, hm? That you’re just no good to yourself, no good to anybody. Never will be any good to anybody. Just that you’re completely worthless, huh?—Those really are lousy feelings. Just feel that you’re no good at all, hm?

Client: Yeah. (Muttering in low, discouraged voice) That’s what this guy I went to town with just the other day told me.

Rogers: This guy that you went to town with really told you that you were no good? Is that what you’re saying? Did I get that right?

Client: M-hm.

Rogers: I guess the meaning of that if I get it right is that here’s somebody that meant something to you and what does he think of you? Why, he’s told you that he thinks you’re no good at all. And that just really knocks the props out from under you. (Client weeps quietly.) It just brings the tears. (Silence of 20 seconds)

Client: (Rather defiantly) I don’t care though.

Rogers: You tell yourself you don’t care at all, but somehow I guess some part of you cares because some part of you weeps over it.

(Meador & Rogers, 1984, p. 167)

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Active listening Carl Rogers (right) empathized with a client during this group therapy session.

Michael Rougier/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images

unconditional positive regard a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients develop self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Can a therapist be a perfect mirror, critics have asked, without selecting and interpreting what is reflected? Rogers conceded that no one can be totally nondirective. Nevertheless, he said, the therapist’s most important contribution is to accept and understand the client. Given a nonjudgmental, grace-filled environment that provides unconditional positive regard, people may accept even their worst traits and feel valued and whole.

How can we improve communication in our own relationships by listening more actively? Three Rogers-inspired hints may help:

Paraphrase. Rather than saying “I know how you feel,” check your understandings by summarizing the person’s words in your own words.
Invite clarification. “What might be an example of that?” may encourage the person to say more.
Reflect feelings. “It sounds frustrating” might mirror what you’re sensing from the person’s body language and intensity.