Client-Centered Psychotherapy I

Undergraduate / Graduate

Social workers are tasked with understanding the person in their environment, including personal, political, & sociocultural contexts. Carl Rogers saw internal distress often as expression of dysfunctional contexts and developed Client-Centered Psychotherapy to approach clients prioritizing autonomy, perspective, & human dignity in a dehumanizing, oppressive society. Through readings and discussion, students gain a foundational understanding of this theory, particularly nuanced reading of core conditions for therapeutic change: empathic understanding, unconditional positive regard, & congruence. These conditions guide client-centered psychotherapists practically in clinical decision making. We explore pragmatic questions like how do we remain committed to understanding a person when their experience is so different from our own? How might we find a way back toward accepting a client when we become frustrated with or judgmental of their behavior? How do we embody the boundaried role of "therapist" while bringing our "real selves" to the relationship? This course involves live demonstrations with experienced clinicians. Course assignments and class time is dedicated to student practice and instructor feedback. Students will walk away with increased confidence in clinical skills and expanded capacity to attend to the full range of client experiences, be they complex, ambiguous, overwhelming, or challenging. The course is open to clinical, policy and/or research focused students.