HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client-centered therapy, is being able to see things from the client’s perspective. As the text says, “the therapist must understand the client’s world from the client’s point of view.” This quality is referred to as empathy. To truly demonstrate empathy, therapists must abandon their own view of the world in favor of the client’s view.

HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

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HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective

An important part of therapy, particularly client-centered therapy, is being able to see things from the client’s perspective.

As the text says, “the therapist must understand the client’s world from the client’s point of view.”

This quality is referred to as empathy. To truly demonstrate empathy, therapists must

abandon their own view of the world in favor of the client’s view.

Page 2: HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

HM 15-2 Liebert and Spiegler (1994) provided an

exercise that allows students the chance to try to understand another person’s subjective experience.

Several hypothetical statements from clients are provided in HM 15-2.

Have students read each statement and attempt to understand and interpret the statements from the speaker’s internal perspective rather than from their external perspective.

Page 3: HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

HM 15-2 This task will be difficult for students who are

still wrapped up in themselves; thus, it provides not only a good example of the therapist;s work but also good life-skills training.

In many relationships, being able to see things through the other person’s eyes helps to avoid conflict.

Because of the difficulty of this task, it may be best to start with one statement and to cover the class’s responses to it before going to the next statement.

Page 4: HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

HM 15-2 Thus, students will have a chance to learn from

one situation before attempting the others. It may also be helpful to use this as a group

exercise, so that no individual’s response is singled out.

The sample internal and external interpretations below are from Rogers (1965, pp. 33-34), but certainly some latitude and creativity in students’ responses are allowable.

Page 5: HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

HM 15-2 Statement 1

Internal: It’s really hard for you to get started. External: Should I help you get started

talking? Is your inability to get underway a type of dependence?

Statement 2 Internal: Decision making just seems

impossible to you. External: What is the cause of you

indecisiveness?

Page 6: HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

HM 15-2 Statement 3

Internal: You want marriage, but it doesn’t seem to you to be much of a possibility.

External: What are you focusing on marriage and family? You appear to be a bachelor. I didn’t know that.

Statement 4 Internal: You feel yourself brimming over with

childish feelings. External: The crying, the “dam,” sounds as though

you were repressing a great deal.

Page 7: HM 15-2 - Taking Another Person’s Perspective An important part of therapy, particularly client- centered therapy, is being able to see things from the

HM 15-2 Statement 5

Internal: To you the Army represented stagnation.

External: You’re a veteran. Were you a psychiatric patient? I feel sorry for anybody who spent 4 ½ years in the service. (Liebert & Spiegler, 1994, p.263)