Person-Centered Therapy

Founded By:

Carl Rogers (1902-1987)

Key Concepts:

*"Rogers firmly maintained that people are trustworthy, resourceful, capable of self-understanding and self-direction, able to make constructive changes, and able to live effective and productive lives" (Corey p.178).
*Rogers felt that a therapist must be genuine or real, accepting and caring, and have an ability to grasp or understand the world of their clients in order to help their clients move forward and reach their full potential.

*Actualizing tendency- Striving for realization and fulfillment. 
*The therapist is not the authority and does not know best; the client should be self-aware and self-direct their change. 
*Clients are guided toward being able to successfully deal with obstacles blocking their growth.

Therapeutic Goals:

*The client becomes more independent and integrated. 
*The client realizes ways of being more authentic.  The client is more open to experience, trusts themself, can internally evaluate themself, and is willing to continue growing. 
*The therapist does not set or choose goals for the therapy the client chooses their own goals. 
*The therapist should be empathic and communicate unconditional positive regard toward the client.
*Accurate empathic understanding- The ability of the therapist to experience the clients' feelings as if they are their own without getting caught up in the feelings.  

Techniques:

*"Rogers's original emphasis was on grasping the world of the client and reflecting this understanding" (Corey p. 184). 
*Later Rogers emphasized the therapist and client relationship.  The quality of this relationship is what promotes the client's growth. 
*Techniques may be suggested when they help improve the therapist and client relationship.
*Presence- The therapist is present and attentive to the client.
*Immediacy- Addressing what is going on between the therapist and client.

Video clip of person-centered therapy: http://youtu.be/Ew8CAr1v48M

References

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

person-centered.org "Carl Rogers"

neetlearners.blogspot.com "Rogers Person-centered Approach"

(2006, October 22). Person Centred Therapy. Video clip retrieved from http://www.youtube.com