ABSTRACT
The Rogerian principle of congruence is rightly understood as being a fundamental core condition of the play therapy process. His approach holds that the personhood of the therapist is the central element of the change process. The concept of the use of self within child-centred play therapy (CCPT) being complex and hard to unravel. Along with empathy and unconditional positive regard (UPR), these are understood as being the essential, attitudinal pre-conditions of CCPT, conditions that need to be both felt internally and expressed externally in order to facilitate a positive therapeutic experience for the child. Personhood within a CCPT context can be thought about as the very essence of what it means to be fully present in the playroom. Self-disclosure or boundaries and limits, the central issue is around having sufficient self-awareness and personal insight to know how these decisions are being informed and how they might impact the process.
