How My Understanding of Congruence Impacts on My Practice.

584 Words3 Pages
I have chosen Congruence as the core condition to focus on in regards to how it impacts on my skills practice and helping placement. My reason is I believe it is central to my practice, being a fundamental component for the rest of the core conditions. I would metaphorically liken the impact of Congruence to the temperature gauge of a machine like a car offering valuable information about the conditions of which the machine is operating under. "Counsellors do not need to have resolved all their personality conflicts - some of these conflicts can be made safe through awareness and management" (Mearns, 2006, p. 42) I feel this statement encapsulates and Highlights the importance and necessity for development in regards to congruence. As congruence is generally accepted to be the most difficult of the therapeutic core conditions to develop (Mearns, 2006, p. 42). I feel a strong acquisition of true congruence can prevent against a counsellor, in the therapeutic situation, falling into the common trap of feigning and portraying a contrived role of a counsellor. Congruence is basically when there is a match between something but this can be interpreted in a number of ways. It could be interpreted as what I am experiencing and how I present myself to the world or a match between what I think I am experiencing and what I am really/actually experiencing e.g. if I am telling myself that I am not angry but actually I am seething inside (authenticity) i.e. match between my body’s physiology and my internal dialogue about myself. For this subtly but distinct difference It is important to gauge what to disclose to clients. My guiding principle is, only disclose in the interest of aiding/supporting the therapeutic work/relationship. Moreover if disclosing, It is important for me to be accurate about what I am experiencing in regards to my primary adaptive emotions and
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