- •Introduction
- •Actualizing Tendency
- •Self, Ideal Self, and Self-Actualization
- •Congruence and Incongruence
- •Psychological Adjustment and Maladjustment
- •Experience and Openness to Experience
- •Positive Regard and Unconditional Positive Regard
- •Conditions of Worth
- •Locus of Evaluation
- •Organismic Valuing Process
- •Internal and External Frame of Reference
- •Empathy
- •Postulated Characteristics of the Human Infant
- •I. Nondirective Psychotherapy (1940–1950)
- •II. Client-Centered Therapy (1951–1960)
- •Basic Therapeutic Hypothesis
- •III. On Becoming a Person (1961–1970)
- •IV. A Period of Expansion in Practice (1970–1977)
- •V. Rogers’s Last Years (1977–1987)
- •VI. The Person-Centered Approach After Rogers (1987–present)
- •Varieties of person-centered therapy
- •Classical Client-Centered Psychotherapy
- •Therapeutic Illustration
- •Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy
- •Therapeutic Illustration
- •Emotion-Focused (Process-Experiential) Psychotherapy
- •Therapeutic Illustration
- •Psychological Contact
- •Therapeutic Illustration
- •Person-Centered Expressive Arts Psychotherapy
- •Existential Influences on Person-Centered Psychotherapy
- •Integrative approaches to person-centered therapy
- •Role of Therapist
- •Being Present
- •Promoting Client Freedom
- •Being Accepting, Unconditional in Regard, and Affirming
- •Being Authentic, Genuine, Transparent
- •Being Empathic
- •The Varieties of Empathy
- •Role of the Client
- •Overview
- •Initial Phase of Therapy First Session
- •First Few Months
- •Second Phase of Therapy
- •Signs of Progress and Ongoing Conflicts
- •Third Phase of Therapy
- •Update and Current Status
- •Therapeutic Illustration
- •Analysis and Reflections on Sabina’s Course of Psychotherapy
- •Empathy
- •Unconditional Positive Regard
- •Congruence
- •Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy
- •Emotionally Focused Psychotherapy (eft)
- •Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples
- •Competency 1: Self-Awareness of One’s Own Assumptions, Values, and Biases
- •Competency 2: Understanding the Worldview of the Culturally Different Client
- •Competency 3: Developing Appropriate Intervention Strategies and Techniques
- •Empathy
- •Unconditional Positive Regard
- •Congruence
- •Client Perception of Core Therapist Conditions
- •Psychological Contact
- •Client Incongruence or Anxiety
- •One Size Can’t Fit All
- •Equivalence of the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy
- •Optimal Conditions for Constructive Therapeutic Change
Third Phase of Therapy
Sabina changed her health insurance to a different provider, resulting in a gap of about 6 months in her therapy. However, I did see her once during this time before she began attending regularly again several months later. When she resumed therapy, it was clear that she had continued to work on her issues and that she was progressing. She had continued to learn more about herself, take responsibility for her life, and make increasingly better choices.
One major decision was to take care of herself first when she needed to by deciding how much contact and under what circumstances she would have contact with persons who were stressful for her. While she remained thoughtful of others, Sabina felt less guilty about establishing clearer and more acceptable boundaries with her mother, sister, other family members, and friends. At one point, she had not visited her mother for about 2 months. While she felt some mild guilt about this, she had decided that she needed to attend to her own mental and physical health more than being a dutiful daughter
An entire session had a theme of “I’m on my own,” a bittersweet realization and acceptance that she cannot depend on her family to support her and that she needed to be her own primary support system while also deriving support from long-term friends.
Sabina became more philosophical and accepting about her son’s being in and out of jail or prison periodically, recognizing that he needed to learn how to manage his life while accepting that she had done the best she could in providing support and guidance for him.
Sabina became somewhat more disciplined and organized in managing her daily affairs and finances and keeping her house in order but still struggled in this area. She continued to eat better and exercise regularly and lost 12 pounds.
An important realization Sabina came to was that she had become too isolated, spending most of her time at work or at home. She began to yearn for some fun and adventure in her life and was determined to “get out in the world more.” She was considering what adventures she would pursue and with whom. Most important, Sabina was proud of herself for coming so far and maintaining her progress. Her general mood was positive and she was not experiencing depression or anxiety.
Update and Current Status
Sabina resumed therapy after a 6-month absence, mostly because of financial limitations. She has completed 3 years of therapy and now attends sessions every 2 weeks. She seems to be in the final phase of her therapy. Having made remarkable progress, she is mostly building on what she has achieved. A few changes are especially notable. Probably most important is that she has learned to take good care of her physical and mental health. She has given up the notion that she needs to “act like someone else wants you to.” Consequently, her value as a person is generated primarily from within and is no longer attached to her mother’s or family members’ expectations of conditions of worth.
In this regard, she is no longer intimidated by her mother, refuses requests from her that she finds unacceptable, and speaks her mind to her when she thinks it appropriate. Sabina commented that she is at peace with what she is willing to do, or refuse to do, for her mother and noted that her mother has “mellowed out beautifully.”
Her son, now 24, recently returned from prison. Sabina decided that her son still needs a bond with her as well as her support, guidance, and some “constructive criticism” on occasion. She reports that her son is “doing well.”
In other areas, Sabina is also doing quite well. In her work as an executive secretary, Sabina said she received exemplary work reviews and commented that she had a “great year.” Sabina’s mood and sense of well-being are generally good. She has been getting out more with friends and increasing her range of activities outside of her house, and she has become more receptive to meeting men. Regarding her health, Sabina has now lost 34 pounds and appears much fitter. Although she still suffers abdominal pain, she does not allow the pain to compromise the quality of her life. In assessing her current state, Sabina said, “Life is good.”