ROGERS - PERSON CENTERED THEORY

#fyp

Formative and actualizing tendency

two broad basic assumptions of person-centered theory

formative tendency

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

Actualizing tendency

the tendency within all humans to move toward completion or fulfillment of potentials

Actualizing tendency

Tendencies to maintain and to enhance the organism are subsumed within the

maintenance

similar to the lower steps on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

includes such basic needs as food, air, and safety; but it also includes the tendency to resist change and to seek the status quo

enhancement

need to become more, to develop, and to achieve growth

Self-actualization

a subset of the actualization tendency and is therefore not synonymous with it; it is the tendency to actualize the self as perceived in awareness

congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy

three conditions both necessary and sufficient for becoming a fully functioning or self-actualizing person

self-concept

all those aspects of one’s being and one’s experiences that are perceived in awareness by the individual

ideal self

one’s view of self as one wishes to be

awareness

the symbolic representation of some portion of our experience

ignored

a woman walking down a busy street, an activity that presents many potential stimuli, particularly of sight and sound. Because she cannot attend to all of them, many remain ____

denied

a mother who never wanted children, but out of guilt she becomes overly solicitous to them. Her anger and resentment toward her children may be hidden to her for years, never reaching consciousness but yet remaining a part of her experience and coloring her conscious behavior toward them

accurately symbolized

experiences freely admitted to the self-structure.

distorted

When our experience is not consistent with our view of self, we reshape the experience so that it can be assimilated into our existing self-concept

contact—positive or negative—with another person

minimum experience necessary for becoming a person

positive regard

need to be loved, liked, or accepted by aother person,

positive self-regard

the experience of prizing or valuing one’s self

conditions of worth

arises when the positive regard of a significant other is conditional, when the individual feels that in some respects he [or she] is prized and in others not

external evaluations

Our perceptions of other people’s view of us

Incongruence

begins when we fail to recognize our organismic experiences as self-experiences: that is, when we do not accurately symbolize organismic experiences into awareness because they appear to be inconsistent with our emerging self-concept

vulnerable

Rogers believed that people are ______ when they are unaware of the discrepancy between their organismic self and their significant experience

Anxiety and Threat

experienced as we gain awareness of such an incongruence

anxiety

a state of uneasiness or tension whose cause is unknown

threat

an awareness that our self is no longer whole or congruent

Defensiveness

the protection of the self-concept against anxiety and threat by the denial or distortion of experiences inconsistent with it

distortion

we misinterpret an experience in order to fit it into some aspect of our self-concept

denial

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

Disorganized

Most people engage in defensive behavior, but sometimes defenses fail and behavior becomes

counselor congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathic listening

Client- centered therapy is unique in its insistence that the conditions of ______, ______, and _______ are both necessary and sufficient

Congruence

______ exists when a person’s organismic experiences are matched by an awareness of them and by an ability and willingness to openly express these feelings

means to be real or genuine, to be whole or integrated, to be what one truly is

unconditional positive regard

Positive regard is the need to be liked, prized, or accepted by another person. When this need exists without any conditions or qualifications, ________ occurs

Empathy

_______ exists when therapists accurately sense the feelings of their clients and are able to communicate these perceptions so that clients know that another person has entered their world of feelings without prejudice, projection, or evaluation.

Stage 1

characterized by an unwillingness to communicate anything about oneself. People at this stage ordinarily do not seek help, but if for some reason they come to therapy, they are extremely rigid and resistant to change. They do not recognize any problems and refuse to own any personal feelings or emotions

Stage 2

clients become slightly less rigid. They discuss external events and other people, but they still disown or fail to recognize their own feelings. However, they may talk about personal feelings as if such feelings were objective phenomena

Stage 3

more freely talk about self, although still as an object. “I’m doing the best I can at work, but my boss still doesn’t like me.” Clients talk about feelings and emotions in the past or future tense and avoid present feelings. They refuse to accept their emotions, keep personal feelings at a distance from the here-and-now situation, only vaguely perceive that they can make personal choices, and deny individual responsibility for most of their decisions

Stage 4

begin to talk of deep feelings but not ones presently felt. “I was really burned up when my teacher accused me of cheating.” When clients do express present feelings, they are usually surprised by this expression. They deny or distort experiences, although they may have some dim recognition that they are capable of feeling emotions in the present. They begin to question some values that have been introjected from others, and they start to see the incongruence between their perceived self and their organismic experience. They accept more freedom and responsibility than they did in the previous stage and begin to tentatively allow themselves to become involved in a relationship with the therapist.

Stage 5

begun to undergo significant change and growth. They can express feelings in the present, although they have not yet accurately symbolized those feelings. They are beginning to rely on an internal locus of evaluation for their feelings and to make fresh and new discoveries about themselves. They also experience a greater differentiation of feelings and develop more appreciation for nuances among them. In addition, they begin to make their own decisions and to accept responsibility for their choices.

Stage 6

experience dramatic growth and an irreversible movement toward becoming fully functioning or self-actualizing. They freely allow into awareness those experiences that they had previously denied or distorted. They become more congruent and are able to match their present experiences with awareness and with open expression. They no longer evaluate their own behavior from an external viewpoint but rely on their organismic self as the criterion for evaluating experiences. They begin to develop unconditional self-regard, which means that they have a feeling of genuine caring and affection for the person they are becoming

Stage 6; physiological loosening

An interesting concomitant to this stage (?) is a ________-. These people experience their whole organismic self, as their muscles relax, tears flow, circulation improves, and physical symptoms disappear

Stage 7

can occur outside the therapeutic encounter, because growth at previous stage seems to be irreversible, become fully functioning “persons of tomorrow”. receive pleasure in knowing that these evaluations are fluid and that change and growth will continue. In addition, they become congruent, possess unconditional positive self regard, and are able to be loving and empathic toward others

Person of tomorrow

an open, authentic, and fully integrated individual who lives confidently in the present, trusts their inner self, embraces growth, and relates deeply and empathetically to others

Self-Discrepancy Theory

argues not only for the real self–ideal self discrepancy but also for real self–ought self discrepancy

organismic valuing process (OVP)

a natural instinct directing us toward the most fulfilling pursuits

represented as a visceral or unexplainable gut feeling