ABSTRACT
Of her work with people who experience reality differently, Rundle writes that the most important principle when working with clients whose levels of mental and emotional distress lead them to experience reality differently from most of us is to respond to the person, not the distress. Of course, this is no different from the attitude person-centred therapists carry into their work with clients of other kinds. However, it can be disconcerting to be confronted with a client with an unusual way of being and a diagnosis of `mental illness' but to put the symptoms before the experiencing person (that is `understanding' the client in terms of a set of labels, diagnoses and prognostications and responding accordingly) would be a mistake.
