The Therapeutic Process

Therapist's function and role:

(1) Helping clients come to new understand and options.

(2) Helping clients focus on clients` current life situations.

(3) Assisting clients discover the reasons for their "stuckness".

(4) Through techniques to establish a relationship that enable the counselor to effectively challenge and understand the clients.

(5) Inviting clients to accept personal responsibility.

(6) Dealing with clients who have restricted existence. These people have a limited awareness of themselves and are often vague about the nature of their nature.

(7) Helping clients become aware of their own part in creating conditions.

Relationship between therapist and clients:

(1) Respect

(2) Person-to-person - a stimulus for positive change

(3) Self-discovery for both clients and helpers

(4) Counselors should adopt a flexible style and draw from different theoretical approaches with different clients.

(5) Helpers are able to share their reactions to clients.

(6) Therapists can help clients become less of a stranger to themselves by selectively disclosing their own responses at appropriate times.

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