Commentary on ‘His master’s voice’: an existential-interpersonal perspective

ABSTRACT

Though I regard Germain Lietaer and Monica Gundrum’s article (His master’s voice: Carl Rogers’ verbal response modes in therapy and demonstration sessions throughout his career) as a very valuable piece giving insight into the therapeutic factory of the founder of PCT I caution against taking ‘the master’s voice’ as a model. From an interpersonal and existential point of view there is a broader range of responses, interactions and inputs to be exploited than shown in the study – with an average of appr. 90% of empathic understanding responses. Depending on each client, the therapeutic relationship that evolves from the ‘joint venture’, and an authentic personal and working style of the therapist the person-centered theory of therapy allows for a great variety of therapist communication and even non-standardized techniques or means and avenues. My concern is to encourage younger colleagues to feel free to practice with ‘disciplined spontaneity’.

Commentaire sur «La voix de son maître»: une perspective existentielle et interpersonnelle

Bien que je perçoive cet article comme une contribution très appréciable qui apporte un éclairage perspicace sur la construction thérapeutique du fondateur de la thérapie centrée sur le client, je m’inscris à l’encontre de « la voix de son maître » proposée comme modèle. D’un point de vue interpersonnel et existentiel, il y a un plus large éventail de réponses, d’interactions, et d’inputs à exploiter que ce qui est montré dans l’étude – avec une moyenne d’approximativement 90% de réponses de compréhension empathique. Dépendant de chaque client, de la relation thérapeutique qui se déploie comme une « aventure commune » et du style de travail authentique personnel du thérapeute, la théorie centrée sur la personne permet une grande variété de communications du thérapeute et même de techniques non-standardisées, de méthodes ou de pistes de réflexions. Mon propos est d’encourager les jeunes collègues à se sentir libres de pratiquer dans une « spontanéité disciplinée »

Kommentar zu “Die Stimme des Meisters”: Eine existentiell-zwischenmenschliche Perspektive

Obwohl ich den Artikel als eine sehr wertvolle Arbeit ansehe, die einen Einblick in die therapeutische Fabrik des Gründers der PCT gibt, rate ich zur Vorsicht, “die Stimme des Meisters“ als Modell zu nehmen. Aus einer interpersonalen und existenziellen Perspektive gibt es eine größere Spannbreite von Reaktionen, Interaktionen und Einwürfen, die zu untersuchen wären, als das in dieser Studie der Fall ist – mit einem Durchschnitt von ungefähr 90% an Reaktionen mit empathischem Verstehen. Je nach Klientperson, je nach der therapeutischen Beziehung, die aus dem “Joint Venture” entsteht, sowie auch je nach dem authentischen persönlichen Stil und der persönlichen Arbeitsweise der Therapeutperson, gestattet die personzentrierte Therapietheorie eine große Vielfalt therapeutischer Kommunikation und sogar nicht-standardisierter Techniken oder Mittel und Zugängen. Mein Anliegen ist es, jüngere Kollegen zu ermutigen, mit ”disziplinierter Spontanität” zu praktizieren.

Comentario sobre ‘La voz de su maestro’: una perspectiva existencial-interpersonal

Aunque considero al escrito como una pieza muy valiosa que da una idea de la fábrica terapéutica del fundador de PCT, advierto que no se tome ‘la voz del maestro’ como modelo. Desde un punto de vista interpersonal y existencial, hay una gama más amplia de respuestas, interacciones y comentarios para utilizar, de lo que se muestra en el estudio, con un promedio de aprox. 90% de las respuestas de comprensión empática. Dependiendo de cada cliente, la relación terapéutica que se desarrolla a partir de la ‘empresa conjunta’ y un estilo personal y estilo de trabajo auténtico del terapeuta, la teoría de la terapia centrada en la persona permite una gran variedad de comunicación del terapeuta e incluso técnicas o medios no estandarizados y medios o caminos. Mi preocupación es animar a los colegas más jóvenes a sentirse libres de practicar con la “espontaneidad disciplinada”.

Comentário sobre ‘a voz do seu mestre’: uma perspectivaexistencial-interpessoal

Apesar de eu considerar este artigo como sendo de grande valor fornecendo um insight sobre o fator psicoterapêutico do fundador da PCP, advirto contra o facto de se tomar a ‘voz do mestre’ como modelo. De um ponto de vista interpessoal e experiencial, há um mais amplo leque de respostas, interações e inputs a serem explorados para além dos mostrados neste estudo – com uma média de aproximadamente 90% de respostas de compreensão empática. Dependendo de cliente para cliente, da relação terapêutica que emerge do trabalho de equipa e do estilo de trabalho e pessoal autêntico do psicoterapeuta, a teoria da psicoterapia centrada na pessoa permite uma grande variedade de comunicações do psicoterapeuta e até mesmo técnicas, meios e caminhos não estandardizados. A minha preocupação é encorajar os colegas mais jovens a sentirem-se livres para praticarem com uma espontaneidade disciplinada.

KEYWORDS:

• T-frame responses
• personal style
• disciplined spontaneity
• authenticity

Notes

1. While vivification means to call attention to the client’s defenses, vividness – of which Lietaer and Gundrum speak – implies a quality which has the effect to stimulate the vitality of the client in the therapeutic situation.

2. The term ‘interpersonal’ goes back to Harry Stack Sullivan. Other terms like relational, intersubjective or interactional would also be appropriate but each has a specified connotation: Relational is the psychoanalytic approach introduced by Stephen Mitchell which emphasizes the importance of being genuine in the therapeutic relationship. The ‘intersubjective’ approach is a self-psychological offspring by Stolorow and others. Interactional, which might sound more technical and less holistic, was brought into the client-centered debate by van Kessel & van der Linden (see below).

3. To be clear: This is not a statement against quantitative research but that such results are taken as ‘proof’ for the ‘real’, ‘genuine’ or ‘authentic’ person-centered approach in therapy. Like the authors have mentioned the material is limited to verbal responses. For further research it would be worthwhile to include non-verbal therapist responses in forthcoming studies. Especially congruence and unconditional positive regard are expressed much more non- and para-verbally than verbally.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gerhard Stumm

Gerhard Stumm, Ph.D., 1950, is a freelance person-centered therapist in Vienna, Austria, a clinical and health psychologist, and trainer of the ‘Forum’, a training institute for person-centered therapy; publications: e.g. co-editor of “Wörterbuch der Psychotherapie” (Dictionary of Psychotherapy) (2000), “Die vielen Gesichter der Personzentrierten Psychotherapie” (The many Faces of Person-centered Psychotherapy) (2002), “Praxis der Personzentrierten Psychotherapie” (Practice of Person-centered Psychotherapy) (2014), and editor of “Psychotherapie: Schulen und Methoden” (Psychotherapy: schools and methods) (2011).