How does a person centred therapist work?

_ The great question! There is no particular set of techniques that a person centred practitioner should employ. Carl Rogers theorised that if 6 core conditions were present in a therapy session then 'therapeutic change' would occur. He had researched that these conditions were present and high in sessions that people felt therapeutic change occurred. Thus the conditions are necessary & sufficient.

There is sometimes a misconception that there are 3 core conditions (empathy, unconditional positive regard & congruence). I think this has occurred through these being more the therapist qualities..

Anyway, here are the SIX Core Conditions :

1. Two persons are in psychological contact. (That both parties are aware on focused on each other
2. The first, the client, is in a state of incongruence being vulnerable or anxious.
3. The second person, the therapist, is congruent or integrated in the relationship. (Is the therapist genuine, and self aware?)
4.  The therapist demonstrates unconditional positive regard (UPR) for the client. (Is the therapist non-judgemental, do they allow the person to experience their process/emotions thoughts)
5. The therapist demonstrates an empathic understanding of the client’s internal frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client. (does the therapist understand and show they do through communication?)
6. The communication to the client of the therapist's empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard (UPR) is achieved (does the client understand, experience and hear this?)