Person-Centered Therapy

Person-Centered TherapyCarl RogersConceptsCompare/ContrastApplicationsFallacies

Carl Rogers1902 1987Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions by the American Psychological Association in 1956.Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Psychology by the APA in 1972Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with national intergroup conflict in South Africa and Northern IrelandDecent family history, although rather religiously strict.Introverted person/Highly imaginative Deep openness to ChangeFaith in people affected his development of his theoriesFelt assessments at the onset of counseling would cause the client to assume that the therapist would fix their problems.

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Client-Centered TherapyCounseling and Psychotherapy 1942Proposed Nondirective counseling Key Concepts:HumanismThe person should be viewed holisticallyEach person has it within themselves to fix themselves.Free-willPersonal Responsibility

Compare/ContrastRogersEmpathy Unconditional Positive RegardClient Knows bestReflective listeningNo-DiagnosisCongruent whole personality Focus on the person not the problem

FreudTherapist knows BestClients knowledge is insignificantAdvice, Persuasion, Teaching Unconscious drivePersonality dividedFocus on the problem, not the personPersons needed direct help in order to solve their problems

Social Work Podcast #8, 2/12/07

6 Conditions to Person-Centered TherapyA relationship existsClient is a state of incongruenceTherapist is CongruentTherapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the clientTherapist experiences and attempts to express an empathic understanding of the clients internal frame of referenceTherapists unconditional positive regard, empathic understanding, and congruence must be perceived by the client

Seligman, Pg. 150

CongruenceBeing Real

CongruenceThe ability for the therapist to be genuineNo faadeRequires self-awarenessDeliberate self-disclosureTherapists need to be aware that a clients subjective interpretation could lead to misinterpretation

Unconditional Positive RegardPrizing, Acceptance, Trust

Unconditional Positive-regardPrizingCaring for and respecting the clientDoes NOT require that the therapist accept and approve of all the clients actionsTherapist needs to be consistent of their acceptance and regard of the person

EmpathyPutting yourself in the clients shoes

EmpathyGrasping the subjective words of the clientReflection of feelingNOT Sympathy

Carl Rogers on his Therapeutic approachCan I be real? Real, Congruence, TransparencyPrizing/Caring for this person if I dislike this person I find it important that express it Empathy Can I see things through her eyes?http://youtu.be/HarEcd4bt-s

Carl Rogers on his Therapeutic Approach

http://youtu.be/HarEcd4bt-s

Therapeutic ApplicationsEmotion-Focused Therapy

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)Emotions as crucial to experienceGoal-settingTalk about an event I feel, about, becauseEmotion processing activitiesHomeworkMotivational InterviewingReflective Listening

Person-Centered Therapy in the Movies

Its Complicated Universal Pictures - 2009

Practice of EFT

EFT ExerciseIdentify and describe a situation where you felt that someone wronged you and how that made you feel.Is this situation repeated in other aspects in your life?What other emotions do you feel about this. Does this situation trigger other memories or emotions?How can you turn this around and see this from a different perspective? What are the truths about this situation?

Limitations to Person-Centered Counseling

Fallacies of Person-Centered TherapyAssumption of Sufficient for Change has not been proven by research.Being Genuine Beginning clinicians get stuck faking it.

Wrap-upCarl Rogers coined a philosophy that is in predominant use today.This therapeutic approach encourages the client to find their own solutions by allowing them the ability to see themselves, through therapist acceptance of them and reflective listening.The assumption of innate good is still in debate as the nature verses nurture aspects of personality are still in dispute. What Person-Centered Therapy means to the world of Psychology