Nondirectivity in the Person-Centered Approach
Critique of Kahn’s Critique
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9022293 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jerold D Bozarth (University of Georgia, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2002 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 78-83 |
| Publication date | 2002-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Humanistic Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-1678 • E-ISSN: 1552-650X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022167802422007 |
| OpenAlex | W2117737023 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 4 |
This article responds to a critique of nondirectivity in the person-centered approach by Edwin Kahn. Kahn contended (a) that it is impossible for a therapist to be consistently nondirective because theoretical and personal biases are unavoidable, (b) that the focus on the “psychology of the client” in person-centered therapy implies “a one-person rather than a two-person psychology,” and (c) that “fallible directivity may be useful.” The author considers Kahn’s arguments to be specious and a rehash of typical misunderstandings of the person-centered approach. Nondirectivity is not only a viable stance for the person-centered therapist but is also a direct result of adhering to the principles of the approach
Epistemology · First person · Focus (optics · Person-centered therapy · Psychoanalysis · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · Philosophy · Psychology · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications · Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy
| Citations per year | 0.13 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2002 - 2023 (22) |
| Highly cited | No |