Nondirectivity in the Person-Centered Approach: Critique of Kahn’s Critique

Abstract

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.