Problem:
As a student, how will you respond to this classmate of yours below, include in-text citations, references and ask questions
I do think it is possible to combine person-centered and existential approaches in counseling, and after watching both Rogers and Yalom's videos, it actually makes a lot of sense to do it this way. My initial reaction to both videos was how little each therapist relied on obvious techniques, but at the same time, real work was still happening. In the Rogers video, he stayed present and didn't try to dominate the session. It almost seemed like he was doing less, but the client was clearly going deeper because of it. This lines up with person-centered theory, where empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard are what allow growth to happen (Murdock, 2025). The collaborative client/person-centered approaches to contemporary counseling prioritizes building trust between the counselor and client.
The video by Yalom felt more active, especially in the group, but still not empirically driven. He focused on what was happening in the moment and pushed clients to look at meaning, relationships, and responsibility. At times he challenged them more directly, but it felt natural and authentic. This connects with existential therapy, which focuses on meaning, freedom, and personal choice (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 1994). The existential approach is more about fixing real life or conscious impediments to progress rather than subliminal or subconscious issues.
A combined approach would start with building trust and safety using person-centered skills, then gradually move into deeper existential exploration. What stood out is that both approaches rely more on the relationship than techniques, which shows that how the therapist shows up really matters (Milton, 1993). Need Assignment Help?