Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → Unconditional positive regard - showing the same positive feelings towards the client even if the client is rude

Option (1) Unconditional positive regard - showing the same positive feelings towards the client even if the client is rude — Correct. Unconditional positive regard means the therapist does not judge the client. She/he keeps the same positive feelings even if the client is rude or confides wrong things done or thought.

Option (2) Contractual nature - the alliance lasts until the client can deal with her/his problems — Incorrect. The contractual nature is the first component: two willing people, the client and the therapist, enter a partnership to help the client. Lasting until the client can deal with her/his problems describes the limited duration of the therapy.

Option (3) Sympathy - understanding the plight of another person and being able to feel like the other person — Incorrect. In sympathy, one feels compassion and pity for another's suffering but cannot feel like the other person. Understanding another's plight and feeling like her/him is empathy.

Option (4) Second component of the alliance - the high level of trust between the client and the therapist — Incorrect. The second component of the alliance is the limited duration of the therapy. The high level of trust is one of the relationship's unique properties, which lets the client confide her/his problems.

NCERT (2026-27): “Therapeutic Relationship
The special relationship between the client and the therapist is known as the therapeutic relationship or alliance. It is neither a passing acquaintance, nor a permanent and lasting relationship. There are two major components of a therapeutic alliance. The first component is the contractual nature of the relationship in which two willing individuals, the client and the therapist, enter into a partnership which aims at helping the client overcome her/his problems. The second component of therapeutic alliance is the limited duration of the therapy. This alliance lasts until the client becomes able to deal with her/his problems and take control of her/his life. This relationship has several unique properties. It is a trusting and confiding relationship. The high level of trust enables the client to unburden herself/himself to the therapist and confide her/his psychological and personal problems to the latter. The therapist encourages this by being accepting, empathic, genuine and warm to the client. The therapist conveys by her/his words and behaviours that s/he is not judging the client and will continue to show the same positive feelings towards the client even if the client is rude or confides all the ‘wrong’ things that s/he may have done or thought about. This is the unconditional positive regard which the therapist has for the client. …”