The notion of self-experience in client-centered training programs

Abstract

The central item of the client-centered training program is the therapist’s personal development. The design of the training program is dominated by experience of the self, the guiding principle of the program consists in orienting oneself according to one’s own experience. It is rather a matter of self-knowledge than of change. The aim is to gradually adopt the core conditions (empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard) as well as a “belief" in the central hypothesis of the client-centered theory of personal development, the actualizing tendency. Besides, the client-centered setting has to be experienced inwardly. To achieve this, a profound experience, provided by the experiencing process, is necessary. The contents of the experience of the self are not to the fore. The experiencing process can be considered successful if the student can integrate what he or she learned in the sense of an intuitive way of being present, of a particular way of being (Rogers: “A way of being with persons”).

Keywords:
Training program, experience of the self, client-centered psychotherapy, actualizing tendency, experiencing process.