Associated with positive regard is

Associated with positive regard is an attitude of nonpossessive caring and
warmth, which can be expressed in subtle ways such as through gestures, eye
contact, tone of voice, and facial expression. A genuine expression of caring
can be sensed by clients and will promote their development. In contrast, artifi
cial warmth can be as readily identifi ed and will not be helpful to group
members. If clients sense that the therapist’s expression of warmth is more a
technique than a genuine feeling, it becomes diffi cult for clients to trust the
genuineness of other reactions of the therapist.
It is a rare group facilitator who can genuinely provide unconditional acceptance
for every member on a consistent basis. Unconditional positive regard
can best be thought of as an attitude of receptiveness toward the subjective
and experiential world of the group member. From Lietaer’s (1984) perspective,
unconditionality means that the therapist values the deeper core of the
person. Through the therapist’s attempt at unconditionality, clients sense that
the therapist is on their side and that they will not be let down in spite of their
current diffi culties. In its optimal form, unconditionality expresses a deep belief
in another person. For a scholarly treatment of the controversial concept of
unconditional positive regard, see Lietaer (1984).