1. Therapist Congruence

2. Session objectives What it is Why it matters What gets in the way

3. Therapeutic Conditions 1. Two persons are in psychological contact. 2. The first, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or anxious. 3. The second person, whom we shall term the therapist, is congruent or integrated in the relationship. 4. The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client. 5. The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the client's internal frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client. 6. The communication to the client of the therapist's empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved. No other conditions are necessary. If these six conditions exist, and continue over a period of time, this is sufficient. The process of constructive personality change will follow.

4. Introduction One of the six Core Therapeutic Conditions One dimension of an integrated concept More specific to Person-Centred Therapy than other approaches

5. What is Congruence It is sometimes referred to as being genuine – real – authentic Congruence is an attitude, a way of being, where my “outward responses match the inner feelings and sensations that I have in relation to another person” Rogers

6. Importance of Congruence It aims to communicate openness It promotes a trust which is earned rather than demanded by “superiority” It helps the client not to disempower themselves by giving ‘the therapist’ the role of ‘expert’ It promotes equality and collaboration

7. Key Ingredients Person-to-Person Encounter Focus on “Here and Now” Vehicle for Empathy & UPR Inner experience (inner congruence) Outward expression (outer congruence) Founded on self awareness of the therapist “ If the therapist is not denying feelings to awareness, but is able freely to be them then the condition we have stated is met.” Rogers

8. Two Kinds of Incongruence Lack of awareness of own feelings (inner experience) Lack of expression of own feelings (outer expression)

9. Blocks to Congruence Activity: Think about three/four key relationships in your life What within yourself makes it difficult for you to be open about your inner experience with the other person ?

10. Blocks to Therapist Congruence Protecting self-image (self judgement)Protecting self-image (self judgement) Belief that it is only permissible to express ‘positive’ feelings (client too fragile to hear difficult things) ‘Difficult ‘clients/client processes Fear of what might happen (damage the relationships, client might break down or freak out, might report you ….) Too tired emotionally or professionally

11. Congruence is not Disclosure “It is not for the therapist to express or talk out his own feelings, but primarily that he should not be deceiving the client as to himself.” Rogers Confrontation: it might be challenging for the client, but it does not set out to be challenging Dumping your feelings: congruence is way of communicating your inner experience in the service of the client’s process and the therapeutic relationship

12. The Place of Congruence Congruence shapes the quality of the therapist’s empathy and unconditional positive regard

13. Developing Congruence Activity: Dual Attention Listening Inner congruence a) paying close attention to your inner experience + b) paying close attention to your client Outer congruence Sharing your inner experience with the speaker (without censure)

14. Openness – the foundation “There can be no openness to the client’s experience of there is no openness to one’s own experience. And without openness there can be no empathy either. In this sense congruence is the ‘upper limit’ of the capacity for empathy” Lietaer(1993)

15. Developing Congruence Being open to self Self- Empathy Self-Unconditional Positive Regard Releasing your intuition – images, pictures, gesture, facial expression, “idiosyncratic empathy” PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE Don't be frightened to make mistakes

16. “Genuineness in therapy means that the therapist is his actual self during his encounter with his client. Without facade, he openly has the feelings and attitudes that are flowing in him at the moment. This involves self-awareness; that is, the therapist's feelings are available to him to his awareness - and he is able to live them, to experience them in the relationship, and to communicate them if they persist. The therapist encounters his client directly, meeting him person to person. He is being himself, not denying himself”. Rogers (1966) Client Centred Therapy p.185.)

17. Further Reading Leitaer G: Authenticity, Congruence & Transparency Article - on Persona website Rogers, C. (1951) Client-Centered Therapy. Boston: Houghton Mearns, D. & Thorne, B. (2007) Person-Centred Counselling in Action, 3 rd Edition. Sage