Therapist use of self was grounded in awareness of mutuality and vulnerability an understanding that they were in it together with the patient without become vulnerable and being in it together. Humanistic and existential schools of thought maintain that there are three ways for a therapist to use self as the instrumental self the authentic self and the transpersonal self an instrumental approach such as cbt uses techniques and sees the client as someone with problems to resolve it holds the position that what the therapist does is more relevant than who the therapist is an authentic approach such as humanistic or integrative seeks to be more personal with the . The therapeutic use of self in counselling is prevalent in the humanistic approach and relational approaches to counselling and psychotherapy the term use of self in therapy refers specifically to the ways in which the therapist draws upon their own feelings experiences or personality to enhance the therapeutic process. Therapist use of self was grounded in awareness of mutuality and vulnerability an understanding that they were in it together with the patient without become vulnerable and being in it together