Welcome to the Art of Therapy. I'm Dr Warwick Phipps. Together with

colleague clinical psychologist Marizaan Koen, join us as we explore not just what therapy is,

but how to do it more effectively, helping you deepen your therapeutic skills and elevate your

practice one conversation at a time. Okay, so last time we really had started to have a look at what

What are some of the qualities of a therapeutic relationship that's really valuable?

And some of the qualities that we started to have a look at was empathy and congruence

and unconditional positive regard as well.

And I think that's already such a meaningful part of it.

So for today, if we start to talk a little bit about person-centered therapy and almost

zooming out a bit and looking a bit, stepping a bit back.

And just looking at why is a person-centered approach,

why is that important in a therapeutic relationship

and what makes it meaningful?

- Yeah, we did go right into detail last episode.

And as you say, let's have a look.

And I think that's important because we zoom out

and now look at a person-centered approach.

You were asking a number of things.

What is it and why is it important?

Why is it meaningful?

In terms of what it involves,

and touched on this last episode,

the key development in the field

for anyone in mental health care,

anyone who really wants to make a difference

in the lives of others

in terms of providing facilitating therapy,

is understanding a humanistic approach,

which related very much to the idea

of emphasizing and punctuating

with the individual, the person, and the human being.

Before that, there had been a strong emphasis

in behavior therapy, focusing on the behaviors,

reactions in response to the environmental stimuli,

and then also a strong emphasis on the psychoanalysis approach,

which was at times considered to be somewhat,

in fact, direct to therapist led.

And so what emerged was this other development

where you're focusing on human beings, persons in therapy.

And that was the humanistic movement.

And part of that development was Carl Rogers.

And Carl Rogers' work was remarkable

because he placed a special attention

on the notion of the individual constantly self-actualizing.

Others had described the process of self-actualization,

becoming the individual, becoming their fullest potential,

everything that they are and can be.

But he expressed and worked with this in a way

it was really valuable and taking it even further understanding.

Because what he explained is that we not only are always striving to become the most of

who we are, self-actualizing and expressing our potential, but what he explained was that

We also have a need for regard from others, so positive regard from others, and we also

have a need for positive self-regard, so acceptance from others and acceptance from ourself.

And what he set out was that very often, as one is going through life as, you know, in

the early years and growing and developing in childhood,

but the process continues.

Any time an individual wants to express their full potential,

but they experience judgment,

then there's a conflict,

and that need for both regard by others

and acceptance by others and by oneself

is now in conflict with becoming more of who I am.

And so there's incongruence,

And what he set out was at blocks,

the process of self-actualization.

And so this is really what was the basis

of the person-centered approach.

And therefore he gave thought to, well,

as psychotherapists, as mental health care practitioners,

what do we need to do to facilitate self-actualization?

And what he explained was, again,

those three very special qualities that you noted,

that the quality of being congruent as a therapist

so that my communication,

everything I'm saying is trustworthy, can be received.

That the second quality then is empathy,

accurately understanding the other.

And then the third quality,

that understanding is not only accurate

but without any judgment whatsoever.

So what is the basis here?

As soon as those three qualities are present,

therapeutically, and that's what we as therapists

need to strive towards and facilitate,

then an individual, a client,

can become more of who they are

without any fear of judgment,

trust what's being communicated by the therapist,

and understanding, with understanding,

understand themselves, their needs,

even more accurately in a deeper way,

and become more of who they are in the therapy process.

And then begin to, in time, express more of who they are

and generalize it to their relationships.

- I think that's so meaningful.

And I think a big part of this,

of actually having a deeper understanding

of the humanistic theory is so important.

So with a lot of the training,

we know when we finish training, we finish training.

It's a long process.

But then we start to experience therapy and we go into,

and what you share now about the immunosynastic theory

is that it's so much more than just self-actualization

and what is actually involved in that.

And being able to communicate your needs

in a way that you don't get judged

and to be able to identify them

and doing so in a very congruent way

and receiving that feedback from the therapist,

that it is, that you know you can trust that

and that it's trustworthy.

That's assessed with it.

- Yes, I mean, what you're saying is just,

that's exactly it and it's so fundamental

because once a client is experiencing that

and has this kind of therapeutic relationship,

they are understood in a way

and come to understand themselves

in ways that are profound.

And that's why Cole Rogers was saying that a person-centered approach and these qualities are essential to any helping relationship because of the process that it facilitates.

And of course it's key and central in any therapy process.

But just as you say, I've experienced this many times in training and in teaching, facilitating,

that the norm is once you've finished and you've got your qualification, very often

I've arrived, I'm here and I understand person-centered, I've got it.

It's something about self-actualization and a few qualities.

But actually, those who are really passionate about training and their work and developing

actually then come to understand how fundamental and profound the person approach is in being

able to facilitate meaningful therapy.

It's so much more and being able to understand that and work with that.

And it makes me think back about the training that I did with you previously last year and

going into that, it just opens up your world and understanding person-centered therapy in a different

way. So it really, it takes your skills with therapy, it takes it to the next level to be

able to understand it like that and to be able to assist the client to open up their world.

Like you said, in any meaningful helping relationship. - Yes. And you really experience,

who are senior psychologists, you as a therapist just work very deeply, very sensitively.

And it's amazing how there's always just capacity for learning and your own awareness,

which is that you're always developing.

And that as experienced as you are, again, you're openness to learning and here developing

even more deeply in a person-centered orientation.

Actually never arrived. There's always opportunity. No, we never do.

Yeah, there's always opportunity for learning.

Indeed.

Yeah.

Okay, this was, yeah, this was really, really meaningful and I think there's so much value

in the person-centered approach and understanding it on each time, discussing it and looking

at it on an even deeper level. I think there's, yeah, I think there's a lot of depth in that

and to look at it even more brings so much meaning.

So I really enjoyed this.

- Yes, I share that.

I've enjoyed it too.

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