Person-Centered Psychotherapies (Theories of Psychotherapy Series®)

Person-Centered Psychotherapies, by David Cain, is an essential primer on client-centered non-directive therapy. Building on the extensive body of work contributed by Carl Rogers, Cain explicates the necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic personality change in layman’s language and illustrates their applications through brief therapy session examples..This volume is an essential, and perhaps foundational, contribution to the APA’s Theories of Psychotherapy Series. Cain invests significantly in explaining and justifying the first three of Rogers Necessary and Sufficient Conditions (empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence) ... including examples of research supporting effectiveness of the core conditions..Rogers redefined the nature of therapy with his belief that the “direction and locus of control in therapy were clearly centered in the person seeking help” (p. 11) ... that the therapy should be non-directive. Rogers’ assertion that therapist attitude had a stronger therapeutic impact than therapeutic technique positioned empathy and unconditional positive regard as essential elements of many other forms of therapy. (Congruence, while relevant, has not proven to be as significant an impact on therapeutic effectiveness.).Perhaps Cain’s greater contribution, beyond, summarizing Roger’s work, is his recommendations of Twelve Optimal Conditions for Constructive Therapeutic Change..Person-Centered Psychotherapies, by David Cain, is highly recommended for people in any of the helping professions. Though many helping professions do not strive toward therapeutic personality changes, all helping profession initiatives can be more effective when built on stronger relationships where those being helped are believed to have developable potential already within themselves. Particularly the principles of empathy and unconditional positive regard are highly relevant in every interpersonal relationship..

This is a great read for any provider that feels there intervention is to use person centered approach but it really breaks PCT down and the history of it. Great read

Even though the material in this book is over-kill for the students preparing for the Advanced Placement Psychology exam, many were interested enough, post-exam glow (!), to want to borrow it from the school's library. They are exploring avenues down which the study of psych and analysis in particular will take them. This volume, taken from the copious collection, went down well. The students dipped into it and told others what they found and what they thought.What harm can more knowledge inflict on our amazing young people?Bahamas

A STAPLE in any psychology library. This book starts off telling you what you need to know and puts it into perspective well. If your test covers PC therapy, then you should read this.

Provides both a basic background for the Person-centered approach for psychotherapy and a willingness to not get trapped by the stereotype of the approach. Rogers cannot be the only interpreter of the pca. Others have something to say and David Cain offers exposer to the diverse stances of the pca.

If you are interested in Humanistic/ Person-Centered Therapies, this is a good place to start. It is an easy read, brief and succinct. Of course, the great Carl Rogers is the master (and originator) of this theory and technique, but this is a good starting place.

This book is a must for all counselors, it provides the basics of how counselors can make the difference in beginning a client counselor relationship.

Love this book series! I'll definitely be buying more.