Importance Of Person Centered Therapy

Sophie is a 21 year old senior attending a mid-size 4year college in Central New York. She transferred from a small rural 4year college. Sophie visited the Student Health Center for HIV/AID testing. Fortunately, she was given a clean bill of health. Sophie was not able to eat well for weeks prior her health examination. She stopped hanging out with her friends, soccer teammates and eventually dropped out of the team. Sophie started skipping class and not participating when she would attend. Her health and wellness professor noticed her changed behavior and recommended she talks to someone from the counseling center. After a few visits, she was dissatisfied with counseling and decided to stop going. A few weeks after, she was approached by …show more content…
Roger, the founder of Person-Centered Therapy, argued that people are trustworthy, resourceful, and capable of self-understanding and self-direction. In other words, clients can solve their own problems without direct intervention from the counselor. As suggested by its name, this approach puts the client at the center. Thus the counselor would not put too much thought into the student problem. Once the problem has been identified, the counselor shift focus on the client, not the problem. Person-Centered focuses on helping the client find their true self by creating a positive environment to facilitate growth. The therapist must show genuine care, respect and understanding so the student is comfortable in exploring thoughts, feelings, and emotions throughout the helping process without judgment or …show more content…
Although this approach is successful in treating stress, anxiety and depression, it can be challenging in cases of difficult clients. Some clients may be too shy to speak, others may feel frustrated because they seek counseling solely for answer and are not interested in exploration. Shy clients may not want to share their deep personal stories with a stranger. Another disadvantage to using this approach is that some clients do not like to be challenged and may be offended by truthful remarks by the counselor. Person-Centered Therapy has many advantages that overweigh the disadvantages by a great volume. One of the strengths of Person-Centered Therapy is its tendency of focusing on the person and instead of the problem. Focusing on the here and now encourages clients to think in the present time. Another strength of this approach is that it promotes self-awareness, self-expression, and self-development, which leads to a deeper understanding of the