PSYC3082 - Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Related Approaches

Vocabulary flashcards covering Carl Rogers's Person-Centred Psychotherapy, core conditions, empirical research, Motivational Interviewing, and Emotion Focused Therapy.

Nondirective counselling

The first period of Carl Rogers's development (1940s) which was a reaction against directive approaches, focusing on active listening, reflecting, and clarifying verbal and non-verbal content to gain insight.

Client-centred therapy

The second period of development (1950s) that shifted focus from feelings to the client's world, emphasizing the client and introducing the concept of actualising tendency.

Person-centred approach

The fourth period of development (1980s–90s) that expanded the application of Rogers's theory to industry, groups, conflict, peace, leadership, international relations, and politics.

Experiencing

A central construct of PCT referring to everything going on in the individual at that moment, including emotions and sensory or physiological events.

Actualising tendency

An innate, motivational drive toward growth, autonomy, and the movement toward realising full potential.

Self-concept

In PCT, the specific portion of experience that is explicitly labelled as 'the self'.

Unconditional positive regard

A core condition of therapeutic change characterized by deep, genuine, non-judgmental, non-evaluative, and non-possessive caring for the client.

Conditional regard

An external factor where acceptance is provided only under specific conditions ('I'll only love you if you do what I say'), which fosters reliance on external validation.

Accurate empathic understanding

A core therapeutic condition in which the therapist resonates in a bodily-felt response to the client's functioning and senses their subjective experience through careful, perceptive attention.

Congruence

A core condition where the therapist is open, genuine, and authentic without presenting a 'professional front', having all their feelings available to them in session.

Extra-therapeutic change

The factor accounting for the largest proportion ($40\%$) of client outcome according to empirical research on common therapeutic factors.

RULE principles

An acronym representing four key Motivational Interviewing principles: Resist telling them what to do, Understand their motivation, Listen with empathy, and Empower them.

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

A therapeutic approach developed by William Miller & Stephen Rollnick (2002) built on the theory that motivation is a dynamic construct produced by the interaction between client and therapist.

Bem's self-perception theory

A theory (1972) drawn upon by Motivational Interviewing stating that people become more committed to what they hear themselves state.

Change talk

Statements made by the client expressing arguments for or interest in change, which an MI therapist explicitly listens for and emphasises.

Stages of Change

A model illustrating that people progress through non-linear stages of change (Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, Relapse) and that interventions should match the client's current stage.

Meta-Analysis of MI (Hettema et al., 2005)

A meta-analysis of 72 studies finding that MI generally shows small-to-medium effects on improving health outcomes, with support as a stand-alone brief intervention for addictive behaviours except smoking.

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)

An approach originally called 'Process Experiential Therapy' (Greenberg, 2008) that integrates PCT, Gestalt experiential techniques, and biological theories of emotion.

Primary vs. secondary emotions

A distinction in EFT between initial, core emotional responses and secondary emotional reactions (such as anger masking underlying primary shame or fear).

Empty chair technique

An EFT intervention adapted from Gestalt therapy designed to help clients resolve unfinished business with significant others.

Split chair technique

An EFT intervention (also called the two-chair technique) used to explore internal conflicts or distinct parts of the self.

PCT vs. EFT for Depression Study (Ellison et al., 2009)

A randomized study of 43 adults comparing PCT and EFT over 18 sessions, showing both therapies reduced depression scores post-treatment, with EFT demonstrating superior maintenance of gains at 6-month follow-up ($6.0$ vs $13.0$).