Behind the mirror: what Rogerian “Technique” is NOT

This paper aims to clarify some common misunderstandings of person-centered therapy and to assert the value of person-centered care in the helping profession. Though empathic and non-interpretive “mirroring technique” is widely accepted by psychotherapists, counselors, and social workers in their interventions, its fundamental essence as the Rogerian attitude behind the “mirror” has usually been misunderstood and overlooked. Adopting a dialectical point of view, the author argues that there is a paradox in learning and applying the person-centered approach: this approach can be practiced with and without techniques.