Carl Rogers - Person-Centered Theory

Person-Centered Theory

The agreed upon name of Roger’s theory after his death using the closest if-then framework.

If the therapist is congruent and communicates unconditional positive regard and accurate empathy to the client, then therapeutic change will occur; if therapeutic change occurs, then the client will experience more self-acceptance, greater trust of self, and so on

Two basic assumptions of person-centered theory

• formative tendency

• actualizing tendency

Formative tendency

there is a tendency for all matter, both organic and inorganic, to evolve from simpler to more complex forms

Actualizing tendency

the tendency within all humans (and other animals and plants) to move toward completion or fulfillment of potentials. This tendency is the only motive people possess

Maintenance

Those basic needs that protect the status quo. They may be either physiological (e.g., food) or interpersonal (e.g., the need to maintain the current self-concept)

Enhancement

The need to develop, to grow, and to achieve.

Self

it is a specific expression of actualizing tendency; it is your organized, consistent set of perceptions and beliefs about who you are. your identity.

Self-Actualization

it is the innate tendency to grow, develop, and fulfill your potential.

Self-concept

it is your organized set of beliefs and perceptions about yourself.

Organismic self

your true, natural self . the self you would be if you fully trusted your internal experiences and organismic valuing process without distortion from external pressures.

Ideal self

a part of self-concept, i is the version of yourself you would like to be your goals, aspirations, and the qualities you wish you had.

It’s shaped by both personal desires and external influences (like cultural values, family expectations, or “conditions of worth”).

For a growth to occur, the individual must be with someone who is?

the person must be someone who is congruent, empathetic, and with unconditional positive regard

Congruent/congruency

it is when your self-concept (how you see yourself) and organismic self (your true inner feelings and needs) are in harmony, without significant distortion or denial

Incongruence

it is when when your self-concept and organismic-self are not in harmony or mismatch

It causes vulnerability, anxiety, and threat to occur

Vulnerable

A condition that exists when people are unaware of the discrepancy between their organismic self and their significant experiences. Vulnerable people often behave in ways incomprehensible to themselves and to others.

Anxiety

The experience of the threat of imminent nonbeing.

Threat

Feeling that results from the perception of an experience that is inconsistent with one’s organismic self.

Unconditional positive reagard

means accepting, valuing, and caring for a person without any conditions attached — regardless of their behavior, feelings, or mistakes.

Causes of incongruence

• Incongruence happens when you deny, distort, or ignore parts of your real feelings because they conflict with your self-image or with what you think you should be.

• Often develops from conditions of worth — when you believe you must meet certain standards to be valued or loved.

• Creates internal tension, anxiety, guilt, confusion, or low self-esteem.

Awareness

refers to your conscious recognition and understanding of your experiences both internal (thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations) and external (what’s happening around you).

3 levels of awareness

1. ignored and denied experiences

2. accurately symbolized experiences

3. distorted experience

Ignored or denied experience

An experience that happens but is completely outside of your awareness , you don’t notice it or it’s too subtle to register.

Actually symbolized experiences

An experience that is fully recognized and understood just as it is, without distortion, and integrated into the self-concept.

Distorted experiences

An experience is noticed but misinterpreted or altered so it can fit your current self-concept.

Denial of positive experiences

it is when you reject or refuse to acknowledge a good experience because it doesn’t fit your current self-concept.

Positive regard

it means means the warmth, acceptance, care, and respect we receive from others.

Self positive regard

• It’s valuing yourself and having an attitude of self-acceptance, regardless of mistakes or imperfections.

• Similar to self-love or self-esteem, but specifically in Rogers’ terms, it develops from receiving unconditional positive regard from others during life.

Different barriers to psychological health

• conditions of worth

• incongruence

• defensiveness

• disorganization

Conditions of worth

are the standards or expectations you believe you must meet to be valued, accepted, or loved by others or by yourself

External Evaluations

It is our perception of the people’s view of the individual. These evaluations, whether positive or negative, do not foster psychological health but, rather, prevent us from being completely open to our own experiences

Defensiveness

is a psychological protection mechanism people use when they experience a threat to their self-concept especially when an experience is inconsistent with how they see themselves.

it forms through distortion and denial

Distortion

We misinterpret an experience in order to fit it into some aspect of our self-concept. We perceive the experience in awareness, but we fail to understand its true meaning

Denial

We refuse to perceive an experience in awareness, or at least we keep some aspect of it from reaching symbolization

Disorganization

when an experience is so strongly inconsistent with your self-concept that you cannot deny or distort it it forces its way into awareness.