Final answer:
It is false that a major function of the therapist is merely to make interpretations of clients' behavior. Therapy involves collaborative efforts between the therapist and client to explore and modify thought patterns and behaviors, with various approaches emphasizing different techniques.
Step-by-step explanation:
A major function of the therapist is to make interpretations of clients' behavior is false. Therapists do play a role in helping clients understand their behavior, but the process involves much more than interpretation alone.
For instance, cognitive-behavioral therapists consider cognitive processes and behaviors when providing psychotherapy, emphasizing active collaboration with clients to modify thought patterns and behaviors.
Similarly, Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy focuses on providing genuineness, empathy, and understanding, fostering an environment where clients can explore their feelings and find their own solutions to their problems.
In psychoanalytic therapy, the therapist may indeed make interpretations, but this is within a specific theoretical framework that seeks to uncover unconscious motivations and past experiences affecting present behavior.
The aim of most modern therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or client-centered therapy, is to empower clients to reflect on their experiences and behaviors and to actively engage in their own healing.
Hence, the statement that interpretation is a major function of the therapist is overly reductive and does not represent the breadth of therapeutic practices.