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Running head: UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD 1

Unconditional Positive Regard Amanda Perkins 12/19/2016 BSHS/385 Audra Stinson

UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD

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Carl Rogers, a humanist psychologist, defined Unconditional Positive Regard as a concept of listening to a client and supporting them unconditionally without judging and accepting their actions regardless of what they entail during therapy (Martin, 2016a). UPR is a vital skill required by counsellors and is seen to be one of the most difficult skills to acquire in counselling. During person-centered therapy, a counsellor should be able to demonstrate his/ her skills in providing the unconditional support that is therapeutic in nature. To develop one’s capacity to have UPR towards a client, the counsellors need to understand some component that is vital to its success. Respect for the client is the first element required to enable a patient feel that his/her opinion is being considered. Being non-judgmental as a counsellor allows the client to interact with you freely and can express their feelings, thoughts and emotions without any fear or pressure to behave in a particular manner. Demonstrating that you value and accept the client as a unique person encourages them to find self-acceptance which is critical in the healing process and acceptance of oneself. Another vital component of UPR is acceptance of the client’s beliefs, opinions and views as such space enable the patient cultivate their inner thoughts and build confidence in themselves. Finally, the counsellor should empathise with the patient so as to show them that they understand what they are going through and they do care for them. All the component help the counsellor achieve the UPR and still demonstrate positive attitude during the counselling session (Martin, 2016a). While developing UPR skills, counsellors can develop traits such as empathy that enable them to understand the challenges, problems, thoughts and feelings of the clients to offer the necessary support. Congruence is also developed and is instrumental in helping the client know that they are in agreement with the counsellor and convinces them that the counsellor is providing genuine understanding and support. A positive attitude is also gained while developing

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UPR as counsellors are expected to demonstrate warmth, genuine support, and understanding towards the client. Counsellors who encourage self-disclosure and create rapport can attain this trait. Respect for other people’s opinions is also gained while conveying UPR as the counsellor should be non-judgmental and impartial while counselling a client. During sessions, a counsellor listens to many clients with different opinions, feelings and thoughts and therefore can appreciate the diverse characters of patients and can respect them (Martin, 2016b). While conveying UPR a counsellor can gain experience in different areas of counselling. Problem-solving, motivational skills, proper planning and re-orientation skills can be gained with experience. Other than academic qualifications, a counsellor can build their self-awareness and be able to control their emotions and feelings while handling a client. A counsellor can also be able to use additional knowledge and understanding from experiences encountered to support a client. Although each counsellor is unique in his/her way, the aim of every counselling session is to ascertain that the client is free, safe and supported to express their feelings and thoughts without the fear of being judged (Martin, 2016b). Conveying UPR can at times be made difficult as a counsellor may encounter a client who is resistant to any help given or unpleased with the external assistance. Such situations may arise especially when the counselling session is mandatory. Therefore, the client may feel as if he/she is being coerced to attend the session. Other clients may also view the counsellor’s involvement as the source of their sufferings or trouble. Aggressive and angry clients can make conveying of UPR difficult. Unresponsive and quiet clients can also complicate UPR as they are unwilling to open up and talk about issues affecting them. They also have short responses that do not provide adequate information to the counsellor to enable them to get assistance. Other clients may pose to know it all and claim that they have done and know everything with intentions of

UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD making the counsellor feel of no use to them and illusionary clients who never accept that they require any assistance and often feel as if “special” and do not need any help. Drugs affected and the intoxicated client can be tough to handle when conveying UPR as they are under the influence of drugs, which make it difficult to communicate and understand each other. In cases where a counsellor encounters resistant patients, his/her safety comes first, especially when handling aggressive clients. One can ensure security by having a colleague in the room especially when a problem is anticipated. Emergency call numbers of the nearest police station, mental health care workers or security guards can be helpful to get emergency help in case of aggression from the client. A counsellor should also take responsibility for their actions by knowing their limits, being calm, non-judgmental and respectful. They should also be aware of any circumstances or statement that may upset the client and should never respond with anger (AIPC, 2010).

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References Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. (2010). AIPC Article Library: Managing Challenging Clients. Aipc.net.au. Retrieved from http://www.aipc.net.au/articles/managing-challenging-clients/ Martin, A. (2016a). The Counsellor’s Guide: Unconditional Positive Regard. Thecounsellorsguide.co.uk. Retrieved from http://www.thecounsellorsguide.co.uk/unconditional-positive-regard.html Martin, A. (2016b). The Counsellor’s Guide: Using your Personal Qualities, Skills and Knowledge. Thecounsellorsguide.co.uk. Retrieved on 14 Dec 2016 from http://www.thecounsellorsguide.co.uk/using-your-personal-qualities-skillsknowledge.html

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