Psych 401 Person Centered Theory in Psychotherapy by Mick Cooper

Person-centered psychotherapy

A set of ideas and practices based on the work of Carl Rogers, emphasizing the client as the agent in optimizing psychological functioning.

Radical view of human well-being

A non-pathologizing perspective that focuses on freeing individuals for normal growth and development.

Rogerian approach

Involves empathy, unconditional positive regard, congruence, and reflection of feelings, emphasizing understanding the client's point of view.

Non-directivity

Allowing clients to lead the therapeutic process to find their unique pathways of change and growth.

Therapeutic Conditions for Personality Change

Necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change, including psychological contact, congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy.

Criticisms of person-centered therapy

Criticized for ethnocentrism, lack of appreciation for different cultures, and the nondirective stance.

Contemporary developments

Includes various forms of psychotherapy branching from the classic client-centered approach, such as emotion-focused psychotherapy.

Research findings

Show that humanistic experiential psychotherapies are as effective as CBT, with empathy and positive regard being crucial.

Training and supervision

Focuses on developing congruence, self-awareness, and offering congruence to clients, with supervisors providing core conditions to trainees.

Future directions

Emphasize research, qualitative and correlational, to understand helpful practices, identify moderators of change, and focus on elements adding value to the field.