Person-Centered Psychotherapies

Description

In Person-Centered Psychotherapies , David J. Cain discusses the history, theory, research and practice of this seminal approach whose basic premises have influenced the practice of most therapeutic systems. Person-centered therapy, also called client-centered therapy, was created by Carl Rogers almost 70 years ago. In polls of psychotherapists conducted in 1982 and 2007, Carl Rogers was voted the most influential psychotherapist in history. His original approach gave rise to a number of variations on the original, all of which may be classified as person-centered psychotherapies because of their basis in Rogers' core therapeutic conditions of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence. This model emphasizes the client–therapist relationship, focusing on how the quality of moment-to-moment engagement between therapist and client can create optimal conditions for client growth. Person-centered therapies view clients as resourceful persons capable finding their own directions and solutions for their problems, and a fundamental value of the person-centered therapist is to honor and preserve the client's autonomy and choice. In this book, Dr. Cain presents and explores person-centered psychotherapy, its theory, history, therapy process, primary change mechanisms, the empirical basis for its effectiveness, and contemporary developments that have refined theory and expanded how it may be practiced. In recent years dialogical, experiential, existential and expressive-creative influences have been integrated in practice. This essential primer, amply illustrated with case examples featuring diverse clients, is perfect for graduate students studying theories of therapy and counseling as well as for seasoned practitioners interested in understanding how it has evolved in recent decades. Review: Great read - This book will help me finish my master's degree. Thank you. Review: Great introduction to non-directive, client-centered helping! - Person-Centered Psychotherapies, by David Cain, is an essential primer on client-centered non-directive therapy. Building on the extensive body of work contributed by Carl Rogers, Cain explicates the necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic personality change in layman’s language and illustrates their applications through brief therapy session examples. . This volume is an essential, and perhaps foundational, contribution to the APA’s Theories of Psychotherapy Series. Cain invests significantly in explaining and justifying the first three of Rogers Necessary and Sufficient Conditions (empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence) ... including examples of research supporting effectiveness of the core conditions. . Rogers redefined the nature of therapy with his belief that the “direction and locus of control in therapy were clearly centered in the person seeking help” (p. 11) ... that the therapy should be non-directive. Rogers’ assertion that therapist attitude had a stronger therapeutic impact than therapeutic technique positioned empathy and unconditional positive regard as essential elements of many other forms of therapy. (Congruence, while relevant, has not proven to be as significant an impact on therapeutic effectiveness.) . Perhaps Cain’s greater contribution, beyond, summarizing Roger’s work, is his recommendations of Twelve Optimal Conditions for Constructive Therapeutic Change. . Person-Centered Psychotherapies, by David Cain, is highly recommended for people in any of the helping professions. Though many helping professions do not strive toward therapeutic personality changes, all helping profession initiatives can be more effective when built on stronger relationships where those being helped are believed to have developable potential already within themselves. Particularly the principles of empathy and unconditional positive regard are highly relevant in every interpersonal relationship. .