PCE2006
7th World Conference for
Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling

July 12–16, 2006, Potsdam, Germany

Opening Speech

Promoting health: Challenges for person-centered communication and behavior in psychotherapy, counseling and daily life

Reinhard Tausch

Prof. em., Dr., Psychologisches Institut III, Univ. Hamburg, Von-Melle-Park 5, 20146 Hamburg, Privat: Im Asemwald 22/7, 70599 Stuttgart, Deutschland, Phone & Fax: +49 711 8178800, E-Mail: tjacheise@t-online.de

Abstract:

The challenges arise with the high increase of mental and psycho-somatic conditions, inappropriate unhealthy behavior and the resulting financial consequences for society. Implications for the person-centered psychotherapy-counseling:

• Necessity to provide further empirical evidence to locate areas in which we can be clearly effective and economically appropriate.
• Improvement of efficiency through supplementary empirically proven multimodal interventions (e.g. relaxation, stress reduction, bibliotherapy, and the constant reassessment of the effects of each therapy).
• Consideration of new discoveries in the field "What makes changes in the client", e.g. J. Pennebaker, D. Rosenzweig. The relation between reduction in excitability of the sympathetic nervous system through dialogue, along with anxiety reduction and cognitive restructuring.
• Greater therapeutic effectiveness through better training such as video recording of trainees and trainers, along with early and frequent participation in group therapy. Crucial for maximum efficiency is a high degree of respect, empathy as well as non-directive active engagement.
• Significant improvement in the psychological health of non-patients through client-centered therapeutic conversations has been empirically evident, e.g. socially deprived and isolated women over 70 years old, prison inmates (over telephone), unemployed people, women with diagnosed cancer, pre-school children and others.
• Person-centered group psychotherapy, complemented with stress reduction treatment proved to be very beneficial for personality development in adults, and resulted in impressive improvements for interpersonal behavior.
• A poor degree of person-centered attitudes in teachers, parents and spouses corresponds with negative interpersonal relationships. Significant positive changes in behavior are gained through information, participation in person-centered therapy groups and training. With these the psychological health of millions could be improved.
• Therapeutic dialogues with sympathetic individuals (non-professionals) are the main way of coping for people with severe to medium stress levels in daily life. Such conversations have a strong resemblance to the person-centered psychotherapy by Carl Rogers.
• A very good progress of the person-centered communication in daily life is now possible by the work of Marshall Rosenberg ("Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life") and also in schools ("Life-Enriching Education").