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Person-Centered Therapy (Client-Centered)

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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences
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Synonyms

(Process-) Experiential Therapy; Client-Centered Therapy; Emotion Focused Therapy; Nondirective Psychotherapy; Rogerian psychotherapy

Definition

Person-centered therapy (PCT) is a form of psychotherapy in which the focus is on the subjective experiences of the client and in which the therapeutic relationship is seen as the cornerstone to facilitate change in clients. The angle of incidence is the person as a whole, rather than his problems. Central is the notion of the person’s self-agency, his capacity to take responsibility for his own life.

PCT aims at improving self-esteem and client’s relationships with others, a better trust in one’s inner feelings and experiences as valuable sources of information for making decisions, an increased capacity to experience and express feelings at the moment they occur, and, in line with it, to become more open to new experiences and new ways of thinking about life.

Introduction

Contrary to problem-centered approaches in psychotherapy, pers...

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References

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  • Rogers, C. R. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality and interpersonal relationships as developed in the client-centered framework. In S. Koch (Ed.), Psychology: A study of science (Vol. III, formulations of the person and the social context) (pp. 184–256). New York: Mc Graw Hill.

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Correspondence to Roelf J. Takens .

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Takens, R.J. (2017). Person-Centered Therapy (Client-Centered). In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1494-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1494-1

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