Although there may be some distinct

Although there may be some distinct limitations to working exclusively within
a person-centered perspective with some groups, it should not be concluded
that this approach is unsuitable for ethnically and culturally diverse populations.
Cain (2010) notes that rigid insistence on nondirectiveness may be too
constricting for the therapist and the client. The personal preferences and
learning styles of various members need to be taken into consideration. Some
people prefer a directive and active style; others respond well to a less directive
leader.
Evaluation of the Person-Centered
Approach to Groups
CONTRIBUTIONS AND STRENGTHS OF THE APPROACH
Because the person-centered approach is very much a phenomenological one,
based on the subjective worldview of the client, I consider it an excellent foundation
for the initial stages of any type of group. Many person-centered practitioners
would argue that this approach is suffi cient for all the stages of a
group’s development. The approach encourages members from the outset to
assume responsibility for determining their level of investment in the group
and deciding what personal concerns they will raise. A main strength of this
approach is the emphasis on truly listening to and deeply understanding the
clients’ world from their internal frame of reference. Empathy is the cornerstone
of this approach, and it is a necessary foundation upon which any theory
rests (Bohart, 2003; Bohart & Greenberg, 1997; Cain, 2010). Critical evaluation,
analysis, and judgment are suspended, and attention is given to grasping the
feelings and thoughts being expressed by the others. I see this form of listening
and understanding as a prerequisite to any group approach, particularly
during the early stages when it is essential that members feel free to explore
their concerns openly. Unless the participants feel that they are being understood,
any technique or intervention plan is bound to fail.
I appreciate the core values and principles upon which the person-centered
approach rests, and I am convinced that many of its principles can be incorporated
into other approaches to group work. This approach emphasizes each
person’s ability to fi nd the answers for his or her own problems. By creating an
egalitarian environment in which the facilitator functions not as an authority
fi gure with answers but as a person creating a safe place for exploration, the
participants are able to empower themselves. Being a facilitator in a personcentered
group entails fi nding rewards in seeing people take charge of their
own lives (Natalie Rogers, personal communication, June 17, 2009).
Many of the problems of group leaders in training stem from their failure
to reach an understanding of the members’ subjective world, an understanding
that can be achieved only by very careful listening and attending and by
restraining the tendency to solve members’ problems. A major strength of this
approach is the central importance placed on the group counselor as a person,
and the assumption that the client is the major change agent in a therapy
group—both of these assumptions have a great deal to do with determining
the outcomes of a group. Client contributions to the therapeutic process continue
to be neglected in most theoretical models, with very few exceptions