Client Centered: It's Part of What Makes Social Work Unique?

A Client Centered approach is a cornerstone to Social Work. This theoretical framework was developed by Carl Rogers, an American Psychologist. Rogers considered all aspects of a persons unique way of experiencing the environment in which they live. He thought that the individual should be viewed as unique because each of us experiences our environment in a completely different and very subjective way. In this way we can begin to understand human behavior in the context of the environment which allows us to move from the concept of 'mental illness' towards a place that respects the uniqueness of each individual. We avoid pathologizing the person and focus on the underlying causes for the dysfunction as it relates to the clients environment, self-concept and self-construct. 

A Client Centered approach to treatment, places the client at the center and the client is considered the expert of their own life. There is a significant focus on the development of the therapeutic alliance, which is a collaboration between the therapist and the client. The client and the therapist work together to explore the disharmony as it relates to the feelings and the experiences of the client within their environment. In other words, the focus is on how the individual views their problem in relationship to the systems (the environment) in which they live.

Rogers believed that people are motivated to move towards healing and growth and that is where this framework was born from. He recognized that the function of human motivation was to help us to reach our full potential. He believed that because humans are intrinsically motivated to heal and grow, internal disharmony occurs when there is incongruence between feelings and experience or expression of emotions and action. This disharmony would then generate emotional and behavioral problems and is what will often lead people to seek assistance. 

What does a client centered therapist do?

A client centered therapist will focus on the therapeutic alliance and work to collaborate with a client. The therapist will establish an atmosphere where clients feel empowered to explore all the possible solutions to their problems by providing unconditional positive regard and therapy that is free of shame, judgement or doubt. The client will play an active role in their recovery, feeling free to explore all possible solutions and options for overcoming the problem or problems they face. This can lead to a great deal of growth and healing.  

I hope this helped you to understand a little more about how I approach this work and what makes Social Work unique. If you feel like the way I approach my work may be a good fit for you, I invite you to give me call.