Client-centered therapists emphasize the importance of
discouraging clients from using antianxiety or antidepressant drugs.
interpreting the meaning of clients’ nonverbal behaviors.
enabling clients to feel unconditionally accepted.
helping clients identify a hierarchy of anxiety-arousing experiences.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer:
Enabling clients to feel unconditionally accepted.
Explanation
Client-centered therapy, also known as person-centered therapy, was developed by Carl Rogers, a prominent humanistic psychologist. This approach to psychotherapy emphasizes the innate potential of individuals to lead fulfilling lives if provided with the right psychological environment. The central aim of client-centered therapy is to help clients achieve self-actualization and develop a stronger, healthier sense of self.
The core principle of this therapy is the unconditional positive regard that therapists provide to their clients. Unconditional positive regard means accepting and valuing clients without judgment, regardless of what they say, feel, or do. Rogers believed that people often experience psychological distress when they feel that their worth is conditional upon meeting certain standards set by others, such as parents, teachers, or society. By offering a space where clients feel unconditionally accepted, therapists help them explore and understand their feelings openly, leading to personal growth and healing.
Unlike other therapeutic approaches, such as psychoanalysis or behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy does not focus on interpreting unconscious motives or teaching specific coping strategies. It also does not involve creating anxiety hierarchies (a technique used in behavior therapy) or discouraging the use of medication—which is more aligned with psychiatric or medical management.
Instead, client-centered therapists believe that the client is the best expert on their own experience. The therapist’s role is not to direct or advise, but to facilitate a supportive environment characterized by three essential conditions: empathy, genuineness (congruence), and unconditional positive regard. When these conditions are present, clients are more likely to reconnect with their authentic self, gain clarity, and make positive life changes.
In summary, enabling clients to feel unconditionally accepted is at the heart of client-centered therapy, making it the correct answe
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