,Task 1 – Case Study: Dudu (Person-Centred Approach)
Brief Case Summary
Dudu is a 28-year-old woman who has recently relocated from her rural hometown to an urban
setting for work. This transition has left her feeling isolated, anxious, and uncertain about her
identity and future. She experiences inner conflict between her cultural and familial
expectations and her desire for independence. Her hesitation about therapy suggests
ambivalence, but her decision to seek support reflects a need for a safe space where she can
voice her struggles without judgment. A person-centred perspective understands her
challenges not as pathology, but as incongruence between her authentic self and the self
shaped by conditions of worth (Rogers, 1961).
Presenting Issues and Immediate Risks
Dudu’s presenting issues include low self-esteem, heightened anxiety, and difficulty forming
new social connections. The most immediate risk is the potential for her isolation and
emotional strain to intensify, leading to depressive symptoms and impaired work functioning.
The risk is compounded by her estrangement from family support, which could reduce her
resilience. While there are no current signs of suicidal ideation, the therapeutic process must
remain attentive to emerging risks. The person-centred framework responds to these risks by
emphasising a relational environment of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and
congruence, enabling Dudu to feel secure enough to process difficult emotions (Rogers, 1957;
Cooper et al., 2019).
Person-Centred Formulation
From a person-centred standpoint, Dudu’s conflict stems from the incongruence between her
internal experience and the self-concept she has adopted under familial and cultural conditions
of worth. On one hand, she desires autonomy and self-expression; on the other, she feels
bound by traditional obligations. The therapeutic task is not to interpret or diagnose but to
create a relationship that facilitates her actualising tendency—her innate drive toward growth,
authenticity, and wholeness (Rogers, 1959). Through empathic attunement and non-directivity,
the counsellor offers her space to re-evaluate these tensions and move toward a more
congruent, integrated sense of self.
, My Values, How They Might Influence Practice, and How I Would Manage Them
I value resilience, independence, and accountability, qualities that may unconsciously bias me
towards encouraging Dudu to “push through” her struggles alone. This bias could diminish the
importance of her cultural context, where communal belonging and family ties are central. To
manage this, I must engage in ongoing reflection and supervision, recognising moments when
my own worldview overshadows her experience. For example, if I feel tempted to emphasise
independence, I would pause and ask myself: “Am I privileging my own values over Dudu’s
narrative?” By practising cultural humility, I maintain openness to her worldview rather than
imposing my own (Hook et al., 2013). This reflexivity ensures that the therapeutic encounter
remains client-centred, honouring her cultural identity while supporting her personal growth.
If Dudu Asks for My Advice, What I Would Say, and Degree of Advice
In line with the person-centred model, I would avoid prescribing advice. If Dudu asked, “Should
I focus on my career or my family’s expectations?” I would respond reflectively:
Therapist: “It sounds like both your career and your family are deeply important to you, but
right now it feels as if you must choose one over the other. How do you imagine finding a way
forward that honours both?”
This response validates her struggle while gently returning the decision-making power to her.
The degree of advice is minimal; instead, I facilitate self-exploration and reinforce her capacity
to generate her own solutions. In doing so, I uphold Rogers’s (1959) principle of non-directivity,
ensuring that she remains the expert on her life.
If I Accepted Dudu as a Client, Ways I Could Be of Most Help
The most valuable help I can provide is not solutions but a therapeutic climate where Dudu
feels accepted, heard, and safe to explore conflicting emotions. By offering empathy, I
communicate understanding; by being congruent, I model authenticity; and through
unconditional positive regard, I affirm her worth regardless of her choices (Mearns & Thorne,
2013). For example:
Therapist: “I hear how heavy this feels, and I want you to know that in this space, you don’t
have to hide those doubts or fears. They’re part of your journey, and they matter here.”
Brief Case Summary
Dudu is a 28-year-old woman who has recently relocated from her rural hometown to an urban
setting for work. This transition has left her feeling isolated, anxious, and uncertain about her
identity and future. She experiences inner conflict between her cultural and familial
expectations and her desire for independence. Her hesitation about therapy suggests
ambivalence, but her decision to seek support reflects a need for a safe space where she can
voice her struggles without judgment. A person-centred perspective understands her
challenges not as pathology, but as incongruence between her authentic self and the self
shaped by conditions of worth (Rogers, 1961).
Presenting Issues and Immediate Risks
Dudu’s presenting issues include low self-esteem, heightened anxiety, and difficulty forming
new social connections. The most immediate risk is the potential for her isolation and
emotional strain to intensify, leading to depressive symptoms and impaired work functioning.
The risk is compounded by her estrangement from family support, which could reduce her
resilience. While there are no current signs of suicidal ideation, the therapeutic process must
remain attentive to emerging risks. The person-centred framework responds to these risks by
emphasising a relational environment of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and
congruence, enabling Dudu to feel secure enough to process difficult emotions (Rogers, 1957;
Cooper et al., 2019).
Person-Centred Formulation
From a person-centred standpoint, Dudu’s conflict stems from the incongruence between her
internal experience and the self-concept she has adopted under familial and cultural conditions
of worth. On one hand, she desires autonomy and self-expression; on the other, she feels
bound by traditional obligations. The therapeutic task is not to interpret or diagnose but to
create a relationship that facilitates her actualising tendency—her innate drive toward growth,
authenticity, and wholeness (Rogers, 1959). Through empathic attunement and non-directivity,
the counsellor offers her space to re-evaluate these tensions and move toward a more
congruent, integrated sense of self.
, My Values, How They Might Influence Practice, and How I Would Manage Them
I value resilience, independence, and accountability, qualities that may unconsciously bias me
towards encouraging Dudu to “push through” her struggles alone. This bias could diminish the
importance of her cultural context, where communal belonging and family ties are central. To
manage this, I must engage in ongoing reflection and supervision, recognising moments when
my own worldview overshadows her experience. For example, if I feel tempted to emphasise
independence, I would pause and ask myself: “Am I privileging my own values over Dudu’s
narrative?” By practising cultural humility, I maintain openness to her worldview rather than
imposing my own (Hook et al., 2013). This reflexivity ensures that the therapeutic encounter
remains client-centred, honouring her cultural identity while supporting her personal growth.
If Dudu Asks for My Advice, What I Would Say, and Degree of Advice
In line with the person-centred model, I would avoid prescribing advice. If Dudu asked, “Should
I focus on my career or my family’s expectations?” I would respond reflectively:
Therapist: “It sounds like both your career and your family are deeply important to you, but
right now it feels as if you must choose one over the other. How do you imagine finding a way
forward that honours both?”
This response validates her struggle while gently returning the decision-making power to her.
The degree of advice is minimal; instead, I facilitate self-exploration and reinforce her capacity
to generate her own solutions. In doing so, I uphold Rogers’s (1959) principle of non-directivity,
ensuring that she remains the expert on her life.
If I Accepted Dudu as a Client, Ways I Could Be of Most Help
The most valuable help I can provide is not solutions but a therapeutic climate where Dudu
feels accepted, heard, and safe to explore conflicting emotions. By offering empathy, I
communicate understanding; by being congruent, I model authenticity; and through
unconditional positive regard, I affirm her worth regardless of her choices (Mearns & Thorne,
2013). For example:
Therapist: “I hear how heavy this feels, and I want you to know that in this space, you don’t
have to hide those doubts or fears. They’re part of your journey, and they matter here.”
