Qualities in a partner worksheet
Person-centered therapy techniques are at the heart of many therapists' work.
As a psychotherapeutic approach, person-centered therapy operates on the idea that the client is the expert in their own lives and can choose what they’d like to work on in therapy.
In this guide to person-centered therapy techniques, we provide an overview of non-directive therapy techniques and examples of person-centered therapy worksheets and activities.
Therapists can download the free, printable handout of person-centered therapy techniques, save it to their electronic health record (EHR), and refer to it when needed.
What are person-centered therapy techniques?
Psychologist Carl Rogers pioneered person-centered therapy in the 1940s, leaning away from psychoanalytical approaches to treatment and toward empowering clients to explore their feelings.
Rogers promoted a therapeutic relationship that emphasizes empathy, active listening, reflection, congruence, and a safe and supportive environment.
You may also see person-centered therapy described as client-centered therapy techniques, a humanistic approach, or Rogerian therapy.
Examples of person-centered therapy activities
Examples of person-centered therapy techniques and activities include:
Active listening techniques
Active listening is when the therapist attentively engages with the client’s verbal and nonverbal communication, ensuring the client feels understood and valued.
An example of active listening in a therapeutic interaction might look like this:
Client: “I feel so overwhelmed with everything at work. It’s like I can’t get a handle on my workload, and then my boss gives me more projects to work on. I feel like I can’t catch my breath!”
Therapist: “You’re feeling overwhelmed and overworked, and managing everything on your plate seems impossible. It sounds exhausting and maybe even discouraging to feel like you’re falling behind despite all your efforts.”
Congruence technique
By expressing their authentic thoughts and feelings transparently, the therapist fosters trust and encourages the client to be open and genuine.
An example of congruence in therapy might be:
Client: “I’m terrified about the changes between my parents. I know they’ve said they’ll be OK, but it feels daunting, and I’m frightened they’ll get a divorce.”
Therapist: “Thank you for sharing that. I appreciate you feeling those fears and being courageous enough to share them. I admire your strength and courage. I also feel how hard that must be for you. It sounds scary, and that’s OK to feel. We all feel fear during our lives, which can be unsettling.”
Encourage the client to use expressive techniques
Through this person-centered therapy technique, the therapist promotes creative expression through art, music, journaling, movement-based expression, crafting, or other artistic outlets.
These creative activities can be helpful coping strategies that allow clients to process their emotions, experience emotional regulation, build resilience, reduce symptoms, gain a new perspective, and improve their overall well-being.
Person-centered therapy worksheets such as positive journal prompts or a self-esteem journal can be helpful for this technique.
Reflection technique
By empathizing with the client’s thoughts, the client feels seen and safe enough to explore further, helping them achieve deeper insights.
Client: “If I stay late several nights this week, I’ll get on top of my workload. I wish my boss could see how hard I’m working.”
Therapist: “I heard you describing how more effort will help you get a handle on your workload and feel less stressed and overwhelmed. It sounds like you’re working hard to find workable solutions to your problem. It must feel frustrating that your boss can’t see your efforts.”
Encouraging self-exploration
Through clarifying and open-ended questions, therapists guide clients in exploring their thoughts, emotions, and values. This approach helps clients gain self-awareness and insight into their experiences.
Person-centered therapy worksheets for self-exploration might include values worksheets, self-reflection worksheets, or core beliefs worksheets.
An example of this technique in session might look like this:
Client: “Everything feels so overwhelming right now. I’m stuck and don’t know what to do.”
Therapist: “It sounds like you’re unsure about your choices. Can you describe your options in more detail and tell me what comes up when considering them?”
Unconditional positive regard technique
The therapist creates a nonjudgmental, accepting space where clients feel valued and safe to share their feelings and experiences openly.
For example:
Client: “I’ve been cheating on my partner. I feel so much guilt and shame about it.”
Therapist: “Thank you for sharing that with me. I see your courage in being honest about something deeply affecting you. It shows great strength to face this, and I’m here to support you and explore this challenge together.”
Exploring self-concept
This person-centered therapy technique involves helping clients reflect on their perception of themselves to gain insights into their identity, triggers, values, and beliefs. Clients may identify areas for potential change.
An example of this technique might look like:
Therapist: “You mentioned that you don’t feel strong enough to deal with this. Can we dig a little deeper? What does being ‘strong enough’ mean to you? Thinking back, when did you start to believe that about yourself?”
Person-centered therapy worksheets to help clients explore their self-concept may include triggers worksheets or the “I am” worksheet.
How to use person-centered therapy worksheets with clients
You can download the free humanistic therapy techniques PDF at the top of this article. This handout includes example prompts that may be helpful during sessions focused on person-centered therapy techniques.
If you’re a clinical supervisor, you may find the person-centered therapy worksheet is a helpful resource to the clinicians you work with, too.
Sources
- Farber BA, Suzuki JY, Lynch DA. (2018). Positive regard and psychotherapy outcome: A meta-analytic review.
- Stuckey, H. L., & Nobel, J. (2010). The connection between art, healing, and public health: a review of current literature.
- Yao, L., & Kabir, R. (2023). Person-centered therapy (Rogerian therapy).
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