For clients beginning therapy the most important fact initially is the entry of a new person (the therapist) into their psychological environment. It is the building of this relationship between therapist and client, which will facilitate change in the client. This relationship is at the forefront of the therapeutic process. For this to occur it is necessary that these 6 conditions to exist.

1. That two persons are in psychological contact.

2. That the first person, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or anxious.

3. That the second person, whom we shall term the therapist, is congruent in the relationship.

4. That the therapist is experiencing unconditional positive regard toward the client.

5. That the therapist is experiencing an empathic understanding of the client’s internal frame of reference.

6. That the client perceives, at least to a minimal degree, Conditions 4 and 5, the unconditional positive regard of the therapist for him, and the empathic understanding of the therapist. Kirschenbau

This can be a very difficult thing to achieve; the counsellor needs to put aside his or her own frame of reference, beliefs, and values yet still be in control and aware of their own feelings. Empathy is achieved at different levels. The counsellor may have blocks to empathy these include prejudices and beliefs and could have an impact on their ability to empathise with the client. I feel I would have a block if the client were a child abuser. I have two daughters of my own and the thought of them being violated in any way horrifies me. I know I would show more empathy to the victim rather than the abuser. My beliefs are so strong on this issue I would consult my supervisor and refer the client to an appropriate counsellor who could apply the three core conditions and therefore help the client during their therapeutic process.

“Every counsellor is human and fallible and therefore must have some ‘personal limits’ that might be exceeded by her client. However, the person centred counsellor is likely to be ‘less conditional’ than most other people with whom the client will relate.” Mearns and Thorne (1999:66).

For me Empathy is something that is felt on a very deep level and is the counsellor's ability to sense the client's world the way the client does and to convey that understanding. “When a counsellor is empathic it means that she is capable of understanding in the very deepest sense.” Hough. 2000: 34. An empathic therapist is so much inside the world of the client that he or she can clarify not only the feelings of which the client is aware but even those they are not aware. An empathic therapist must try and step into the shoes of the client and gain a deep understanding of what they are feeling and experiencing, they must try and enter the client’s frame of reference. If this is achieved this should allow the client to explore their inner most feeling and thoughts.

“The psychotherapist is what he is, when in the relationship with his client he is genuine and without "front" or facade, openly being the feelings and attitudes which at that moment are flowing in him... the feelings the therapist is experiencing are available to him, available to his awareness, and he is able to live these feelings, be them, and able to communicate them if appropriate.” Rogers. 1961:61.

Some topics in this essay:
Positive Regard, Carl Rogers, Regard Congruence, Mearns Thorne, Raskin Rogers, Centred Approach, Organismic-self Rogers, Kirschenbaum Henderson, positive regard, unconditional positive regard, unconditional positive, core conditions, therapeutic process, CORE CONDITIONS, help client, frame reference, person centred, therapist experiencing, feel therapist, therapist client, Unconditional Positive, positive regard acceptance, relationship therapist client, therapist client facilitate, person centred approach,