Question 26
Olga knows her therapist is using client-centered therapy when she
interprets Olga’s dreams to understand her unconscious conflicts.
uses direct suggestions for how Olga could behave in more adaptive ways.
gets Olga to understand the perspective of others so she can be more empathetic.
helps Olga understand herself better by listening to and clarifying Olga’s feelings.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer:
helps Olga understand herself better by listening to and clarifying Olga’s feelings.
Explanation:
Client-centered therapy, also known as person-centered therapy, is a humanistic approach developed by Carl Rogers. This therapeutic model emphasizes the importance of the individual’s subjective experience and views the client as the primary agent of change. The correct option reflects this approach by highlighting that the therapist helps Olga understand herself better through listening and clarifying her feelings—key characteristics of client-centered therapy.
In this therapeutic style, the therapist’s main role is to provide a supportive, nonjudgmental environment in which the client feels safe to explore and express their thoughts and emotions. Rather than directing the client or offering specific solutions, the therapist uses active listening techniques, such as reflection, paraphrasing, and clarification, to validate the client’s experiences and feelings. This approach allows the client to arrive at their own insights and solutions, promoting personal growth and self-understanding.
Three core conditions that Carl Rogers believed were essential for therapeutic success are:
- Unconditional positive regard – accepting and valuing the client without judgment.
- Empathy – deeply understanding the client’s feelings and experiences.
- Congruence (genuineness) – being authentic and transparent with the client.
Let’s examine the incorrect options:
- Interprets Olga’s dreams to understand her unconscious conflicts – This describes psychoanalytic therapy, not client-centered therapy.
- Uses direct suggestions for how Olga could behave in more adaptive ways – This aligns with behavioral or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), where the therapist is more directive.
- Gets Olga to understand the perspective of others so she can be more empathetic – This leans more toward interpersonal or social learning approaches, not the core of client-centered therapy.
Thus, the correct choice highlights the non-directive, empathetic, and supportive nature of client-centered therapy—focused on Olga’s self-exploration and personal insight.