fei75766_ch10_309-344.indd 325  02/06/20 12:29 PM
Chapter 10    Rogers: Person-Centered Theory 325
therapist seestheclient asanimportant person; “positive” indicates thatthedirection 
oftherelationship istoward warm andcaring feelings; and“unconditional” suggests 
thatthepositive regard isnolonger dependent onspecific client behaviors anddoes
nothavetobecontinually earned.
Empathic Listening
Thethirdnecessary andsufficient condition ofpsychological growth isempathic  listening. 
Empathy exists when therapists accurately sense thefeelings oftheirclients andareable
tocommunicate these perceptions sothatclients know thatanother person hasentered 
theirworld offeelings without prejudice, projection, orevaluation. ToRogers (1980), 
empathy “means temporarily living intheother’s life,moving about initdelicately with-
outmaking judgments” (p.142). Empathy doesnotinvolve interpreting clients’ mean -
ingsoruncovering theirunconscious feelings, procedures thatwould entail anexternal 
frame ofreference andathreat toclients. Incontrast, empathy suggests thatatherapist 
seesthings fromtheclient’s point ofviewandthattheclient feelssafeandunthreatened.
Client-centered therapists donottakeempathy forgranted; theycheck the
accuracy oftheirsensings bytrying them outontheclient. “You seem tobetelling me
thatyoufeelagreat dealofresentment toward yourfather.” Valid empathic under -
standing isoften followed byanexclamation from theclient along these lines: “Yes, 
that’s itexactly! Ireally dofeelresentful.”
Empathic listening isapowerful tool,which along withgenuineness andcaring, 
facilitates personal growth within theclient. What precisely istheroleofempathy in
psychological change? How doesanempathic therapist helpaclient move toward 
wholeness andpsychological health? Rogers’ (1980) ownwords provide thebest
answer tothese questions.
When persons areperceptively understood, theyfindthemselves coming incloser 
touch withawider range oftheirexperiencing. Thisgives them anexpanded 
referent towhich theycanturnforguidance inunderstanding themselves and
directing theirbehavior. Iftheempathy hasbeen accurate anddeep, theymay
alsobeabletounblock aflowofexperiencing andpermit ittorunitsuninhibited 
course. (p.156)
Empathy iseffective because itenables clients tolisten tothemselves and,ineffect, 
become theirowntherapists.
Empathy should notbeconfused withsympathy. Thelatter termsuggests afeel-
ingforaclient, whereas empathy connotes afeeling withaclient. Sympathy isnever 
therapeutic, because itstems from external evaluation andusually leads toclients’ 
feeling sorry forthemselves. Self-pity isadeleterious attitude thatthreatens aposi-
tiveself-concept andcreates disequilibrium within theself-structure. Also, empathy 
doesnotmean thatatherapist hasthesame feelings astheclient. Atherapist does
notfeelanger, frustration, confusion, resentment, orsexual attraction atthesame 
timeaclient experiences them. Rather, atherapist isexperiencing thedepth ofthe
client’s feeling while permitting theclient tobeaseparate person. Atherapist hasan
emotional aswellasacognitive reaction toaclient’s feelings, butthe feelings belong 
to the client, notthetherapist. Atherapist doesnottakeownership ofaclient’s experi -
ences butisabletoconvey totheclient anunderstanding ofwhat itmeans tobethe
client atthatparticular moment (Rogers, 1961).Final PDF to printer