Hazel (Humanistic Therapist) (S)

1. #1Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)selective

   Keys: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT

   Overview: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Clients learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with their inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent them from moving forward in their lives. With this understanding, clients begin to accept their hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behavior, regardless of what is going on in their lives and how they feel about it.

   When it is Used: ACT can help treat many mental and physical conditions, including anxiety disorders, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychosis, workplace stress, and chronic pain.

   What to Expect: Working with a therapist, the client will learn to listen to their own self-talk or the way they talk to themselves specifically about traumatic events, problematic relationships, physical limitations, or other challenges. They can then decide if a problem requires immediate action and change or if it can, or must, be accepted for what it is while they learn to make behavioral changes that can modify the situation. They may look at what hasn’t worked for them in the past, and the therapist can help them stop repeating thought patterns and behaviors that can cause them more problems in the long run. Once they have faced and accepted your current challenges, they can make a commitment to stop fighting their past and their emotions and, instead, start practicing more confident and optimistic behavior, based on their personal values and goals. ACT aims to develop and expand psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility encompasses emotional openness and the ability to adapt the client's thoughts and behaviors to better align with their values and goals.

   Six Core Processes of Psychological Flexibility: Acceptance: Acceptance involves the client acknowledging and embracing the full range of their thoughts and emotions rather than trying to avoid, deny, or alter them. Cognitive Defusion: Cognitive defusion involves the client distancing themselves from and changing the way they react to distressing thoughts and feelings, which will mitigate their harmful effects. Techniques for cognitive defusion include observing a thought without judgment, singing the thought, and labeling the automatic response that they have. Being Present: Being present involves the client being mindful in the present moment and observing their thoughts and feelings without judging them or trying to change them; experiencing events clearly and directly can help promote behavior change. Self as Context: Self as context is an idea that expands the notion of self and identity; it suggests that people are more than their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Values: Values encompass choosing personal values in different domains and striving to live according to those principles. This stands in contrast to actions driven by the desire to avoid distress or adhere to other people’s expectations, for example. Committed Action: Committed action involves the client taking concrete steps to incorporate changes that will align with their values and lead to positive change. This may involve goal setting, exposure to difficult thoughts or experiences, and skill development.

   How it Works: The theory behind ACT is that it is counterproductive to try to control painful emotions or psychological experiences; suppression of these feelings ultimately leads to more distress. ACT adopts the view that there are valid alternatives to trying to change the way you think, and these include mindful behavior, attention to personal values, and commitment to action. By taking steps to change their behavior while, at the same time, learning to accept their psychological experiences, clients can eventually change their attitudes and emotional states.

2. #2Psychological Coachingselective

   Keys: Psychological Coaching

   Overview: Psychological coaching is a process that aims to help clients achieve concrete goals, identify and overcome obstacles to well-being and performance, and build skills that may be interfering with their success. Coaching is specific, goal-oriented, and can be conducted one-on-one or in a group. Psychological coaching concentrates on individual or group strengths and abilities and how they might be used in new and different ways to enhance performance, feel better about the self, ensure smooth life transitions, strengthen relationships, deal with challenges, achieve goals, become more successful, or improve the overall quality of one’s personal and professional life. In general, coaching does not deal extensively with the negative, irrational, or pathological aspects of life; it also tends to be present-oriented and future-oriented, rather than dwelling on the past.

   When it is Used: Coaching is largely client-directed; often, the client will come in with specific issues or concerns they wish to address, and the coach will guide them toward identifying possible solutions and developing strategies to attain them. Coaches may also encourage clients to practice visualization, mindfulness, or other calming techniques to help promote positive emotions as the client works toward his or her goals.

   What to Expect: Most coaching is short-term and consists of straightforward, supportive, solution-based counseling. Depending on the client’s specific needs, the coach and client may explore techniques to alleviate stress, cope with specific challenges, successfully navigate upcoming transitions, and make more positive choices in the client’s personal or professional life.

   How it Works: Coaching is based on fairly straightforward principles—notably, that many people need help overcoming common obstacles to personal and professional success, and getting support from a third party who has expertise in a particular area can be helpful toward that end. Many coaches, no matter their specialty, aim to identify and bolster a client’s inherent strengths in order to help them lead a more authentic, motivated, and successful life. Five key factors help to support a positive coaching relationship: Establishing and maintaining trust, the coach's understanding and ability to manage a client's emotional responses and problems with empathy, two-way communication, the coach's ability to facilitate and help the client's learning and development to reach goals, and a clear transparent process.

3. #3Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)selective

   Keys: Compassion-Focused Therapy, CFT

   Overview: Compassion-Focused therapy (CFT) is a therapeutic approach that aims to help those who struggle with shame and self-criticism, often resulting from early experiences of abuse or neglect. CFT teaches clients to cultivate the skills of self-compassion and other-oriented compassion, which are thought to help regulate mood and lead to feelings of safety, self-acceptance, and comfort. The technique is similar to mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in that it also instructs clients about the science behind the mind-body connection and how to practice mind and body awareness.

   When it is Used: CFT can be used to help manage many long-term emotional problems related to persistent shame, self-criticism, and an inability to view one’s self and one’s behaviors kindly and compassionately. Potential clinical issues that can be helped by CFT include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, personality disorders, eating disorders, hoarding disorder, and psychosis, as well as anger issues, poor body image, and relationship challenges.

   What to Expect: CFT treatment works toward the overarching goal of cultivating compassion for the self and others. To that end, the therapist will often start by teaching the client about the evolution of the brain, the construction of the self, and the systems that regulate emotions, as Gilbert theorizes that disruptions in the brain’s emotion regulation systems lead someone to hyperfocus on threat while disregarding the need to self-soothe. The therapist will then help the client develop the key skills of compassion, self-compassion, and mindfulness via a technique known as Compassionate Mind Training (CMT_. CMT is comprised of guided exercises (including role-playing, visualization, meditation, and activities intended to foster appreciation for daily life) that aim to help the client recognize what compassion feels like and become better at practicing it, both toward themselves and toward others. Clients will also learn how to recognize self-criticism and develop techniques for defusing it when it arises. This may include visualizing their internal critic or identifying compassionate images to call to mind during moments of self-criticism. Clients typically receive homework to practice these skills on days without sessions. CFT requires a high degree of self-focus (which can be challenging for those who are hypercritical of themselves or who dislike attention) and it may take several sessions before the client starts to notice positive effects.

   How it Works: CFT postulates that humans have at least three different emotion regulation systems: a threat and self-protection system, which generates anger, disgust, or fear to protect us; a drive and excitement system, which motivates us to seek outside resources like mates, food, and status; and a soothing and social safety system, which is activated when we feel peaceful and content enough that we are no longer compelled to seek outside resources. Imbalances between these three systems can result in mental illness and/or maladaptive thought processes and behaviors, CFT theorizes. People high in shame and self-criticism may not have had enough stimulation of their soothing system early in life, and too much stimulation of their threat system. As a result, they can struggle to be kind to themselves or feel kindness from others. They may be highly sensitive to criticism or rejection, whether real or perceived, and internalize that disapproval. The goal of CFT, then, is to correct this imbalance in the emotion regulation systems. CFT overlaps with therapies developed to treat trauma, most of which address early memories, recognize negative thoughts, and correct misperceptions. But for some clients who struggle with shame and self-criticism, being able to counter unreasonable thoughts isn’t enough; without self-compassion, logic does not translate into feeling better. The goal of CFT is to replace feelings of hostility and insecurity toward oneself with compassion and understanding, so that clients can begin to soothe themselves, accept soothing from others, and generate feelings of contentment and safety.

4. #4Existential Therapyselective

   Keys: Existential Therapy

   Overview: Existential therapy focuses on free will, self-determination, and the search for meaning—often centering on the individual rather than on their symptoms. The approach emphasizes a person's capacity to make rational choices and to develop to their maximum potential. Some practitioners regard existential therapy as an orientation toward therapy, not a distinct modality, per se. This type of therapy is often useful for clients who experience existential threat or dread when security and identity feel in peril. The existential approach stresses that (1) All people have the capacity for self-awareness, (2) Each person has a unique identity that can be known only through relationships with others, (3) People must continually re-create themselves because life’s meaning constantly changes, and (4) Anxiety is part of the human condition.

   When it is Used: Existential therapy can be useful in treating psychological concerns that are thought to result from an inhibited ability to make authentic, meaningful, and self-directed choices. Interventions often aim to increase self-awareness and self-understanding. Existential psychotherapists try to comprehend and alleviate a variety of symptoms, including excessive anxiety, apathy, alienation, nihilism, avoidance, shame, addiction, despair, depression, guilt, anger, rage, resentment, embitterment, purposelessness, psychosis, and violence. They also focus on life-enhancing experiences like relationships, love, caring, commitment, courage, creativity, power, will, agency, presence, spirituality, individuation, self-actualization, authenticity, acceptance, transcendence, and awe.

   What to Expect: Existential psychotherapies use a range of approaches, but major themes focus on the concepts of responsibility and freedom. Therapists help the client find meaning in the face of anxiety by choosing to think and act responsibly and by confronting negative internal thoughts rather than focusing on external forces like societal pressures or luck. Fostering creativity, love, authenticity, and free will are common avenues that help move you toward transformation. Similarly, when treating addiction disorders, the existential therapist coaches a person to face the anxiety that abuse use may be alleviating, and encourages them to take responsibility for their life. The goal: To make more willful decisions about how to live, drawing on creativity and love, instead of letting outside events determine one's behavior.

   How it Works: Existential psychotherapy fairly and honestly confronts life’s 'ultimate concerns', including loneliness, suffering, and meaninglessness. Specific concerns are rooted in each individual's experience, while common universal concerns are death, isolation, freedom, and emptiness. Existential therapy focuses on the anxiety that occurs when clients confront these inherent conflicts, and the therapist’s role is to foster personal responsibility for making decisions. The therapist may be seen as a 'fellow traveler' through life who uses empathy and support to elicit insight and choices. The core question addressed in this kind of therapy is 'How do I exist in the face of uncertainty, conflict, or death?' While existential therapy may be grounded in theory, it is also wholly practical. Some consider it an exploration of a patient’s life and what he experiences, discovery of purpose, meaning, who you are, and determination.

5. #5Gestalt Therapyselective

   Keys: Gestalt Therapy

   Overview: Gestalt therapy is an approach to psychotherapy that helps clients focus on the present to understand what is actually happening in their lives at this moment, and how it makes them feel in the moment, rather than what they may assume to be happening based on past experience. Their foundational premise is that people are best thought of as a whole entities consisting of body, mind, and emotions, and best understood when viewed through their own eyes. The gestalt philosophy rejects the notion that any one particular trait, episode, or indeed a diagnosis could define a person. Instead, their total self must be explored, discovered, and confronted. As they encounter and gain awareness of other parts of themselves, individuals can take greater responsibility for themselves and hopefully gain a greater sense of what they can do for themselves and others. Instead of simply talking, clients in gestalt therapy are often encouraged to engage in intellectual and physical experiences that can include role-playing, re-enactment, or artistic exercises like drawing and painting. In this way, clients can learn to become more aware of their thoughts and actions, of how negative thought patterns and behaviors may be blocking their self-awareness and making them unhappy, and how they can change.

   When it is Used: Gestalt therapy can help clients with issues such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, and even some physical concerns such as migraines, ulcerative colitis, and back spasms. People who are interested in working on their self-awareness but may not understand the role they play in their own unhappiness and discomfort could be good candidates for gestalt therapy.

   What to Expect: A Gestalt therapist focuses on what is happening in the moment and finding solutions in the present. For example, rather than discuss why something happened to the client in the past, the therapist might encourage them to re-enact the moment and discuss how it feels right now—in other words, actually to experience those feelings rather than just talking about them. The therapist may ask questions like, “What’s going on in this moment?” or “How does this make you feel now?” The gestalt therapist may encourage the client to try dream work, guided fantasy, role-playing, and other techniques to help bring past and current struggles to life in the therapeutic setting. As a client becomes more aware of themselves and their senses, they can begin to move past blame and take more responsibility for themselves, accept the consequences of their behavior, and learn to satisfy their own needs while still respecting the needs of others.

   The Therapist's Role in Gestalt Therapy: A Gestalt therapist strives to remain empathetic and non-judgmental and to be accessible to clients without exuding an air of superiority. While the therapist may not impose their own interpretations on their clients’ experiences, they will listen closely to their words, keenly observe their body language, and guide sessions based on what they hear and see. For example, the therapist is likely to encourage clients to use “I” statements that focus on their own actions and feelings instead of those of others (“I feel anger when she ignores me” instead of “She makes me mad by ignoring me”) as a way of moving toward taking personal responsibility. And if a client begins dwelling on their past, or fixating on anxiety about the future, the therapist may urge them to come back into the present and explore their emotions in the moment.

   Gestalt Therapy Exercises: The Empty Chair: In this exercise, the client sits across from an empty chair, representing a partner, relative, boss, or other person—or in some cases, a part of themselves—and, with the therapist’s encouragement, improvises a dialog with it. (Sometimes the client will go back and forth improvising the roles of both parties.) The goal is to address “unfinished business,” resolving past conflicts or encounters within their own selves by bringing the emotions raised into the present and working through them in the moment. Individuals may find that through this exercise they can access feelings and perceptions in a way that they could not by simply talking about a person, episode, or concern. Exaggeration: A Gestalt therapist will closely observe a client’s gestures and physical responses as they speak—for example, slouching, frowning, or bouncing their leg. In an exercise known as exaggeration, they may ask the client to repeat and exaggerate a given movement to explore the emotions attached to it in the moment and to help them gain a greater general understanding of the connection between their emotions and their bodies. Through these exercises and other gestalt techniques, individuals may be able to reconnect with feelings they might otherwise ignore or deny, and reconnect those parts of themselves into their whole self.

   How it Works: Gestalt therapy is based on the principle that to alleviate unresolved negative feelings like anger, pain, anxiety, and resentment, those emotions cannot just be discussed, but must be actively expressed in the present. Without that, psychological and physical symptoms can arise. In building self-awareness, gestalt therapy aims to help clients better understand themselves and how the choices they make affect their health and their relationships. With this self-knowledge, clients can begin to understand how their emotional and physical selves are connected and develop the confidence to live a fuller life without holding themselves back, and to more effectively face problems when they arise.

6. #6Humanistic Therapyselective

   Keys: Humanistic Therapy

   Overview: Humanistic therapy, also known as humanism, is a form of talk therapy that focuses on a person’s individual nature, rather than assuming that groups of people with similar characteristics have the same concerns. Humanistic therapists aim to consider the whole person, especially their positive characteristics and potential for growth, not only from their professional viewpoint but from a client’s own personal sense of their behavior. The emphasis in sessions is on a person’s positive traits and behaviors and developing their ability to use their instincts to find wisdom, growth, healing, and fulfillment.

   When it is Used: Humanistic therapy can be used to treat people with depression, anxiety, panic disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, addiction, and interpersonal and familial relationship concerns. The approach can also benefit people who have low self-esteem, who are struggling with finding a purpose or reaching their potential, who lack feelings of “wholeness,” who are searching for personal meaning, or who are not comfortable with themselves as they are.

   What to Expect: Humanistic therapy sessions encompass a gestalt approach (exploring how a person feels in the here and now) rather than trying to identify past events that led to these feelings. A humanistic therapist seeks to provide an atmosphere of support, empathy, and trust in which an individual can share their feelings without fear of judgment. The therapist does not assume the role of an authority figure with clients; the relationship is one of equals and wherever possible, the direction of sessions is determined by the client and their concerns in the moment as the expert on their own life and challenges.

   Conditions supporting Successful Humanistic Therapy: Unconditional Positive Regard: The therapist remains empathetic and non-judgmental as they hear and accept the client’s statements; they convey understanding, trust, and confidence so that they can encourage clients to feel valued in discovering and making more positive choices. Empathetic Understanding: The therapist fully understands and accepts an individual’s thoughts and feelings in a way that enables the individual to reshape their sense of their experiences.", Congruence and Genuineness: The therapist brings no air of superiority or authority to sessions, but presents an accessible face that clients see is honest and transparent.

   How it Works: Less focused on pathology, past experiences, and environmental influences on behavior, humanistic therapy is more focused on the positive side of human nature. A core tenet of humanistic therapy is that people are inherently motivated to fulfill their internal needs, and that each person has the power to find the best solutions for themselves and the ability to make appropriate changes in their lives. This concept known as self-actualization. When humanistic therapy succeeds, people experience themselves as well understood by their therapist, which should help them feel more empowered, more conscious of their strengths and skills, and better equipped to make changes in their life that will help them fulfill their goals and needs.

7. #7Motivational Interviewing (MI)selective

   Keys: Motivational Interviewing, MI

   Overview: Motivational Interviewing (MI) helps clients resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior. It is a practical, empathetic, and short-term process that takes into consideration how difficult it is to make life changes. Recognizing that clients sometimes back off and resist well-meaning advice from others, motivational interviewing focuses on coming alongside the person and helping them to discover why they may seek to change themselves, and how they can do that.

   When it is Used: Motivational interviewing can help address addiction and the management of physical health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. This approach helps clients become motivated to change the behaviors that are preventing them from making healthier choices. It can also prepare clients for further and more specific types of therapies. This approach works well with clients who start off unmotivated or unprepared for change. It can also be helpful for clients who are angry or hostile: Even if they may not be ready to commit to change, motivational interviewing can help them move through the emotional stages of change necessary for them to find their motivation.

   What to Expect: In a supportive manner, the MI therapist encourages clients to talk about their need for change and their own reasons for wanting to change. The role of the therapist is mainly to evoke a conversation about change and commitment. The MI listens and reflects back the client’s thoughts so that the client can hear their reasons and motivations expressed back to them. Motivational Interviewing is guided by four key principles, which are expressing empathy, supporting self-efficacy, rolling with resistance, and identifying discrepancies.

   Four Principles Guiding Motivational Interviewing: Expressing Empathy: Empathy is a key component of motivational interviewing. The therapist first listens carefully to the client, then and conveys that they understand the client’s feelings, beliefs, and experiences. Supporting Self-Efficacy: Motivational interviewing believes that clients possess the strength and ability to grow and change, even if past attempts at change have failed. The therapist supports the client’s belief in themselves that they can change. The therapist may do this by calling attention to the client’s skills, strengths, or past successes. Rolling with Resistance: If the client is struggling to change, the client may resist potential solutions or the therapist’s guidance. In motivational interviewing, the therapist avoids becoming defensive or argumentative if they encounter resistance. Instead, the therapist helps the client identify the problem and solution themselves. The therapist doesn’t impose their viewpoint on the client, but helps the client consider multiple viewpoints.", Identifying Discrepancy: The MI therapist helps the client identify discrepancies between their present circumstances and their future goals. What thoughts and behaviors does the client need to change to achieve their goals? The therapist guides the patient in spotting this discrepancy and suggests solutions to reduce or resolve it.

   How it Works: The process of motivational interviewing is twofold. The first goal of the MI therapist is to increase the client’s motivation. The second is for the client to make the commitment to change. As opposed to simply stating a need or desire to change, hearing themselves express a commitment out loud has been shown to help improve a client’s ability to actually make those changes. The role of the therapist is more about listening than intervening. The MI therapist may make use of the four OARS skills (open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries) to help the client. Motivational interviewing is often combined or followed up with other interventions, such as cognitive therapy, support groups, and stress management training.

   Four OARS Skills used by Motivational Interviewing Therapists: Open-ended Questions: Open-ended questions encourage clients to think deeply or differently about a given problem. Affirmations: Affirmations are statements that recognize a client’s strengths, which can instill confidence, or self-efficacy, in their ability to change. Reflections: Reflections involve listening to the patient and reflecting back a response, which can demonstrate empathy as well as point out discrepancies between their current behaviors and goals. Summaries: Summaries refer to recapping at the end of a session.

8. #8Narrative Therapyselective

   Keys: Narrative Therapy

   Overview: Narrative therapy views people as separate from their problems and destructive behaviors. This allows clients to get some distance from the difficulties they face, and helps them to see how it might actually be helping or protecting them, more than it is hurting them. With this perspective, individuals feel more empowered to make changes in their thought patterns and behavior and 'rewrite' their life story, separate from their problems, for a future that reflects who they really are, what they are capable of, and what their purpose is. Clients are encouraged to see themselves as having made a mistake, rather than condemning themselves as bad. A respectful, non-judgemental, and blame-free environment is encouraged. Narrative therapy helps a person to process and clarify what they experience through developing a good narrative.

   When it is Used: Narrative therapy is helpful for clients who define themselves by their problems, or whose lives are dominated by feelings. For example, narrative therapy can help clients with anxiety, depression, trauma, addictions, anger, and difficulties with emotional regulation. Through narrative therapy, clients can learn to see their problem as something they have, but not something that identifies who they are.

   What to Expect: Narrative therapy functions on Seven Core Aspects. During narrative therapy sessions, the narrative therapist will encourage the client to direct the conversation by asking what they prefer to talk about and, on an ongoing schedule, checking to see if the topic (which is most likely a problem), is still something they are interested in discussing. After some time, the narrative therapist will lead the client to share other, more positive stories from their life to help them discover inherent traits and skills that can be used to address their problems. The goal is for the client to see how there are positive and productive ways to approach their life and future when they stop identifying yourself by their problems.

   Seven Core Aspects of Narrative Therapy: Deconstruction: In deconstruction, the problematic and dominant storylines or narratives are explored and deconstructed through conversations with the narrative therapist. Breaking into Chunks: Following deconstruction of the narrative, the narrative therapist helps the client to break the narrative into smaller and more manageable chunks. Rewriting: The narrative therapist helps the client to rewrite the problematic and dominant storylines in their life. Broadening of View: The narrative therapist helps the client broaden their view of their life, and move towards healthier storylines. Also called the 'Unique Outcomes' technique, this can help clients better understand their experiences and emotions. Differences of Experiences: The narrative therapist helps the client realize and understand that what is true for one person may not be true for another person. Externalization: The narrative therapist helps the client to externalize their problem and realize that they are not their problem, and their identity does not lie in their problem. Healthy Narratives: The narrative therapist helps the client to develop a healthy narrative and realize that such a narrative helps the client to make meaning of events that happen in their life, and to see purpose in the future.

   How it Works: In narrative therapy, the events that occur over time in a client’s life are viewed as stories, some of which stand out as more significant or more fateful than others. These significant stories, usually stemming from negative events, can ultimately play a significant role in shaping the client’s identity and self-perception. Through moving beyond this self-imposed identity, the narrative therapist helps the client view their life as multi-tiered and full of possibilities that are just waiting to be discovered. The narrative therapist does not act as an expert, but rather helps clients see how they are the experts regarding their own life, and how they can uncover the dreams, values, goals, and skills that define who they are. Ultimately, the narrative therapist helps the client discover buried stories in themselves that can be rewritten and woven into the ongoing and future stories of their lives.

9. #9Person-Centered Therapy (PCT)selective

   Keys: Person-Centered Therapy, PCT

   Overview: Person-Centered Therapy (also known as Rogerian therapy or client-based therapy), employs a non-authoritative approach that allows clients to take more of a lead in sessions such that, in the process, they discover their own solutions. It is based in the belief that every person is unique and, therefore, everyone’s view of his or her own world, and their ability to manage it, should be trusted. During person-centered therapy, the therapist acts as a compassionate facilitator, listening without judgment and acknowledging the client’s experience without shifting the conversation in another direction. The therapist is there to encourage and support the client without interrupting or interfering with their process of self-discovery, as they uncover what hurts and what is needed to repair it.

   When it is Used: Person-Centered Therapy (PCT) can help those dealing with anxiety, depression, grief, abuse, breakups, professional anxiety, or family stressors. PCT may not be suitable for clients that require more structure, clients with high levels of stress or anxiety.

   What to Expect: Person-Centered Therapy is talk therapy in which the client does most of the talking. The PCT therapist will not actively direct conversation in sessions, or judge or interpret what the client says, but they may restate the client's words in an effort to fully understand the client's thoughts and feelings (and to help the client do the same). When clients hear their own words repeated back to them in this way, they may then wish to self-edit and clarify their meaning. This can actually happen several times until the client decides that they have expressed exactly what they are thinking and how they feel. There may be moments of silence in person-centered therapy to allow the client's thoughts to sink in, and for them to sit with their thoughts. This client-focused process is intended to facilitate self-discovery, self-acceptance, and provide a means of healing and positive growth.

   Three Conditions Supporting Success in PCT: Unconditional Positive Regard: PCT therapists must be empathetic and non-judgmental as they accept the client’s words and convey feelings of understanding and build trust with their clients. PCT therapists should also convey confidence in their clients which encourage clients to feel valued, and to make better decisions and choices of their own. Empathetic Understanding: PCT therapists should seek to completely understand and accept their clients’ thoughts and feelings in a way that can help reshape their client's sense of their experiences. Authenticity and Genuineness: PCT therapists should not carry an air of authority or superiority. Instead, PCT therapists should present a true and accessible self that clients can see is honest and transparent.

   How it Works: Three conditions support the success of PCT therapy by allowing clients to feel better understood in their therapy sessions, and these often leads to clients feeling better understood in other areas of their life as well. A PCT therapist should have the ability to remain calm in sessions, even if a client expresses negative thoughts about the therapist. A PCT therapist should also allow a client to verbalize that they are frustrated or disappointed, and seek to help the client discover what insights can be gained by exploring those feelings. The goal of PCT is to help clients arrive at greater independence in discovering their own strengths and solving their own problems with their own strength. The role that PCT therapists play is to be actively and engaged and responsive during therapy sessions, as well as creating an environment in which the client can progress toward solutions. This involves establishing trust, helping the client find clarity in their statements through repetition, listening closely for new layers of understanding, and expressing nonjudgmental empathy.

10. #10Positive Psychologyselective

    Keys: Positive Psychology

    Overview: Positive psychology emphasizes traits, thought patterns, behaviors, and experiences that are forward-looking and can help improve the quality of a client’s daily life. These may include optimism, spirituality, hopefulness, gratitude, happiness, creativity, perseverance, justice, meaning and purpose, as well as the practice of free will. It is an exploration of the client’s strengths, rather than focusing on the client’s weaknesses. The goal of positive psychology is not to replace traditional forms of therapy that center on negative experiences, but instead to expand and give more balance to the therapeutic process. The idea is not so focused on fixing what is bad in life, but focusing on the positives and what is good.

    When it is Used: Clients who are depressed, anxious, or conflicted may benefit from positive psychology.

    What to Expect: While acknowledging the problems of the world as well as those faced by the client, positive psychologists believe one can still lead a productive, meaningful, and satisfying life. The goal is to minimize negativity in the client’s thinking and behavior, and to help the client develop a more optimistic and open attitude that will enhance their social, professional, and spiritual life. Therapists and counselors who use positive psychology deploy exercises and interventions to help their clients become more self-aware and identify their own positive traits, talents, and strengths. These strategies will hopefully increase the client’s positive emotions, as well as building hope and well-being. Well-being is understood in positive psychology as the PERMA model: (1) Positive Emotions, (2) Engagement, (3) Relationships, (4) Meaning, and 5) Accomplishments and Achievements.

    PERMA model of well-being in Positive Psychology: Positive Emotions: In positive psychology, it is acknowledged that the pursuit of positive emotions will not necessarily improve the client's well-being. However, the experience of positive emotions, through the client's savoring and appreciation of daily positive moments, may boost their well-being. Engagement: Finding ways to engage with life is important for the well-being of clients to avoid their mind and body running on auto-pilot, and to avoid them feeling their life is tedious and meaningless. Relationships: Clients are encouraged to find and develop positive, constructive, and beneficial relationships in positive psychology, as being connected to others in meaningful relationships helps clients to thrive. Meaning: Clients are encouraged to find meaning and purpose in their life, as this strengthens their sense of well-being. Accomplishment and Achievements: Clients are encouraged to set goals for themselves and accomplish them, as the quest and sense of self-improvement is essential to a sense of well-being.

    How it Works: In positive psychology, clients work with therapists to discover and learn to use their strengths. These exercises in happiness can help to make lasting and dramatic differences in the lives of clients who are depressed, anxious, or conflicted.

11. #11Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)selective

    Keys: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, SFBT

    Overview: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) concentrates on finding solutions in the present and exploring the client’s hope for the future in order to find a quick and pragmatic resolution for their problems. The approach is grounded in the belief that the client knows what they need to do to improve their own life and, with the appropriate coaching and questioning, are capable of finding the best solutions.

    When it is Used: Clients who are struggling with behavioral problems, family dysfunction, abuse, addiction, or relationship problems may benefit from SFBT. SFBT may also help clients with depression or schizophrenia.

    What to Expect: Goal-setting is the foundation of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). One of the first questions the SFBT therapist asks the client is called the “miracle question”: “If a miracle occurred while you were asleep tonight, what changes would you notice in your life tomorrow?” This opens up the client's mind to creating a plan that helps them reach their goal. The client, supported by the SFBT therapist, will begin to chart small, pragmatic ways to make changes in their life to achieve their goals. One of the tenets of SFBT is a positive, respectful, and hopeful outlook on the part of the therapist. SFBT therapists maintain the assumption that clients have the strength, wisdom, experience, and resilience to effect change. What other models view as 'resistance' is viewed in SFBT as people's natural protective mechanisms, or a previous therapist’s error that does not fit the client's situation. These assumptions help SFBT therapy sessions to feel collegial and friendly rather than hierarchical or top-down.

    How it Works: A core belief of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy is that the solution to a problem is found in the 'exceptions' (the times when the client is free of the problem or taking steps to manage the problem). By identifying these 'exceptions' and what causes them, the SFBT therapist then focuses on continuing and amplifying what works. SFBT also acknowledges that no matter how good a solution may seem, if it does not work, it is not a solution. SFBT is also based on the belief that all clients are at least somewhat motivated to find solutions. SFBT thus begins with what the client is currently doing to initiate behavioral and lifestyle changes. The therapist uses interventions such as specific questioning techniques, 0-10 scales, empathic support, and compliments to help a client recognize the virtues and strengths that have previously gotten the client through hard times, and are likely to work in the future. Clients learn to focus on what they can do, rather than what they can’t do.

12. #12Strength-Based Therapy (SBT)selective

    Keys: Strength-Based Therapy, SBT

    Overview: Strength-Based Therapy (SBT) is a type of positive psychotherapy and counseling that focuses on the client's internal strengths and resourcefulness, rather than on the client's weaknesses, failures, and shortcomings. This focus sets up a positive mindset that helps the client build on their best qualities, find their strengths, improve resilience, and change their worldview to be more positive. A key focus of strength-based therapy involves discussing a patient’s problems to discover the client's inner strengths, which can be used to build solutions. Strength-based therapy supports solutions which come from clients themselves, but are guided by the therapist's expertise. Strength-based therapy also views clients as benefiting not from deep analysis of their problems, but discussion of how past positive experiences and personal strengths can be guideposts for a treatment plan.

    When it is Used: Clients with poor self-esteem, or who have emotional issues resulting from an abusive relationship can benefit from strength-based therapy. Clients with depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, relationship problems can also benefit from strength-based therapy. Finally, clients who may be adverse to the idea of 'therapy', but nevertheless seek help to work with them on solving their own difficulties, may benefit from strength-based therapy.

    What to Expect: Strength-based therapy is talk therapy that guides the client toward a retelling of their personal history of traumas, stressors, and pain with more emphasis on themselves as a survivor than as a victim, and more emphasis on their strengths and survival skills than on their weaknesses. The goal is for the client to recognize that they may already have the skills and strength to cope with tough situations if they are able to use them effectively. A core goals of strength-based therapy is to allow the client to view their conditions as just one part of their identity, rather than as a defining characteristic.

    How it Works: A strength-based therapist will first ask their client questions to help identify where their strengths lie, and when the client has achieved success over significant challenges in the past. The therapist will also ask the client questions about what they hope to achieve in the future, and what progress would look like for them. From here, both the client and therapist will work on a plan to use the strengths the client has to make incremental changes in their life to help get their client to the place they want to be. Drawing attention to the client's past successes can remind them of their inner strength and give them hope and confidence to tackle the plan in front of them. The strength-based therapy approach treats the client as an expert on themselves, and so is client-specific, with treatment plans emerging from the client rather than from the therapist or from theoretical frameworks that teach how to treat particular problems. Feedback between the client and the therapist on what works and what doesn't work is of the utmost importance for this reason.

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