Rogers Three Characteristics/Attributes Needed for

Client-TherapistRelationship
According to Rogers (1977), three characteristics, or attributes, of thetherapist
form the core part of the therapeutic relationship - congruence,unconditional
positive regard (UPR) and accurate empathic understanding.

Congruence: Congruence is the most important attribute, according to

Rogers.This implies that the therapist is real and/or genuine, open, integrated
andauthentic during their interactions with the client. The therapist does not havea
facade, that is, the therapist's internal and external experiences are one inthe same.
In short, the therapist is authentic. This authenticity functions as amodel of a
human being struggling toward greater realness. However, Rogers'concept of
congruence does not imply that only a fullyself-actualized therapist can be
effective incounseling (Corey, 1986). Since therapists are also human, they cannot
beexpected to be fully authentic. Instead, the person-centered model assumes
that,if therapists are congruent in the relationship with the client, then theprocess of
therapy will get under way...Congruence exists on a continuum ratherthan on an
all-or-nothing basis (Corey, 1986).

Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR): This refers to the therapist's deepand

genuine caring for the client. The therapist may not approve of some of theclient's
actions but the therapist does approve of the client. In short, thetherapist needs an
attitude of "I'll accept you as you are."

According to Rogers (1977), research indicates that, the greater the degreeof caring,
prizing, accepting, and valuing the client in a nonpossessive way,the greater the
chance that therapy will be successful...BUT, it is not possiblefor therapists to
genuinely feel acceptance and unconditional caring at alltimes (Corey, 1986).

Accurate Empathic Understanding: This refers to the therapist's abilityto

understand sensitively and accurately [but not sympathetically] the
client'sexperience and feelings in the here-and-now. Empathic understanding
implies thatthe therapist will sense the client's feelings as if they were his or her
ownwithout becoming lost in those feelings (Corey, 1986).

In the words of Rogers (1975), accurate empathic understanding is as follows: "IfI

am truly open to the way life is experienced by another person...if I can take his or
her world into mine, then I risk seeing life in his or her way...and ofbeing changed
myself, and we all resist change. Since we all resist change, wetend to view the
other person's world only in our terms, not in his or hers.Then we analyze and
evaluate it. That's human nature. We do not understandtheir world. But, when the
therapist does understand how it truly feels to bein another person's world, without
wanting or trying to analyze or judge it,then the therapist and the client can truly
blossom and grow in that climate."