Carl Rogers' Person Centered Therapy

client-centered therapy

starts and ends with the subjective experience(conscious self perceptions) of the individual where their subjective reality serves as the basis for all the individual’s judgment and behavior

the therapist’s interpretations is insignificant

what do humanistic therapies do

• focus on the present

• focus on feelings as they occur

• focus on the conscious

• focus on taking immediate responsibility for one’s feelings of actions rather than uncovering hidden issues

• focus on promoting growth instead of curing illness

• changed the term from “patients” to “clients”

self-actualizing tendency

an active, controlling drive toward fulfillment of our potentials that enables us to maintain and enhance ourselves. This tendency is believed to be both biological and psychological 

fully functioning person 

individuals who are utilizing their potentials to the maximum degree, are engaged in self-realizations of self actualization 

full function person characteristics

1. They are open to experience

2. They are characterized by existential living

3. They trust their organisms

4. They are creative

   1. They live richer lives than do other people

emerging persons

people who interpersonal relationships are characterized by honesty, cooperation, and concern for others, avoid facades and hypocrisy, welcome changed, and opt for growth even when difficult

emerging person characteristics

1. They are honest and open

2. They are indifferent to material comforts and rewards

3. They are caring persons 

4. They have a deep distrust of cognitively based science and technology that uses science to exploit and harm nature and people 

5. They have a trust in their own experience and a profound distrust of all external authority

Social self 

An organized set of characteristics that the individual perceives as being unique to themselves and is primarily acquired through contact with others 

true self

is one’s self-concept based on our actual feelings about our experiences

What did Rogers believe about the formation of a healthy self-concept?

-He believed the formation of a healthy self-concept was an ongoing process shaped by a person’s life experiences

-People with a stable sense of self tend to have greater confidence and cope more effectively with life’s challenges.

What can affect one’s self concept

Need for positive regard: learned or innate tendency to see and need approval from others

As a result of it, the life will be based off of conditions of worth.  

What was Rogers' ultimate goal of his person client-centered approach

to change the person’s self-concept

Unconditional positive regard

a total caring or prizing of the person for what and who one is, without any reservations or conditions of worth

What did Rogers suggest about self-concept

It begins to develop during childhood and is heavily influenced by parenting.

Q-sort 

An assessment that measures the discrepancies between the actual and ideal selves  

Rogers 3 essentials ingredients provided by the therapist in order to facilitate the therapeutic relationship

1. The therapist must be genuine

2. A therapist must be empathetic

3. A therapist must feel unconditional positive regard for the client