Carl Rogers – Client Centered Theory o Some of these tendencies exist

to provide maintenance while

Carl Rogers theory grew out of his years of others are
practice as a clinician. He was a firm for enhancement
believer in the potential of each person. o Sometimes human actualization
tendency is realized only under
certain conditions
 Grew up in the Midwest on a farm with very
 Maintenance- similar to the lower
strict, religious parents stepps on Maslow’s hierarchy of
 Sick as a young man needs. People’s desire to protect their
 Was deeply religious current, comfortable self-concept
 Union Theological Seminary  Enhancement- the need to become
 Took classes from John Dewey while at more, to develop, and to achieve
Columbia and graduated from there Worked growth. The creative power to solve
at the Child Guidance Institute in New York problems to alter their concepts and to
 Taught at the University of Rochester, Ohio become increasingly self-directed.
State, University of Chicago & University of  The person must be a
relationship with a partner who is
Wisconsin
congruent or authentic, and who
 Worked at the USO during WWII demonstrates empathy and
 Worked at the USO during WWII unconditional positive regard.
 Moved to California and worked at Western  Having these qualities doesn’t
Behavioral Sciences Institute cause people to move toward
 Lectured around the world constructive personal change
 Died in 1987  It does, however, permit them to
actualize their innate tendency
Person-Centered Theory is sometime called toward self-fulfillment
client-centered, person-centered, student- o Rogers believed that when
centered and even non-directive theory. It congruence, unconditional
has two broad assumptions: positive regard, and empathy
 Formative Tendency – All matter, are present in a relationship,
psychological growth will
both organic and inorganic, evolves
invariably occur
from simpler forms to more complex
o These are necessary &
forms sufficient conditions
 Actualizing Tendency – The  Rogers believed that when
tendency within all humans (animals congruence, unconditional
& plants) to move toward completion positive regard, and empathy are
or fulfillment of potentials, i.e., present in a relationship,
wholeness psychological growth will
invariably occur
  These are necessary & sufficient The Self-Concept
conditions - All those aspects of one’s being
1. As the individual develops the and one’s experiences that are
concept of self they become more perceived in awareness
aware or I or me experiences! - Organismic Self- The whole self
2. The person’s self-concept is the including unaware or unconscious.
individual’s self-perception and  The stomach is part of the
their perception of their organismic self but unless it
organismic self.
3. Dysfunction occurs when there are malfunctions and causes
discrepancies between these two. concern it is not likely to be
4. The ideal self is the view of one part of one’s self concept.
that one wishes to be - Ideal Self- One’s view of one
5. Sometimes there are discrepancies wishes to be. Not Idealized self but
or incongruence between the one’s final go and is similar to
ideal self and the self concept
Erikson’s ego ideal
6. The person may or may not have
awareness. It can be: - Awareness- The symbolic
a. It may be denied or it may representation of some portion of
be ignored our experiences
b. Or it can be accurately Level of Awareness
symbolized and freely 1. Ignored or Denied
admitted to the self-structure - Experience might be a mother who
c. Or it may be distorted
never wanted children, but out of
The Self and Self-Actualization guild she becomes overly
- Infants begin to develop a value solicitous to them
concept of self when a portion of 2. Accurately Symbolized
their experience become - Both nonthreatening and
personalized and differentiated in consistent with the existing self-
awareness as “I” or “me” concept.
experiences. 3. Distorted Form
- Self-Actualization- is a subset of - When our experience is not
the actualization tendency and is consistent with our view of self,
therefore not synonymous with it we reshape or distort the
experience so that it can be
assimilated into our existing self-
concept
 b. Anxiety occurs when we gain
Denial of Positive Experiences awareness (can be healthy)
- The negative or derogatory 3. Defensiveness is the protection of the
self-concept against anxiety and
experiences that are distorted or threat by denying or distorting
denied to awareness; many people experiences inconsistent with it
have difficult accept genuine 4. Distortion is similar but it is a
compliments and positive misinterpretation of experience in
feedbacks, even when deserved order to fit it into some aspect of our
- Compliments, even those self-concept
5. Denial allows us to refuse to perceive
genuinely dispensed, seldom have
an experience in awareness or keep
positive influence on the self- some aspect of it from reaching
concept of the recipient. Distorted symbolization
because the person distrusts the 6. When defenses fail, the individual
giver, they may be denied because may be come psychotic or
the recipient does not feel disorganize. Can occur suddenly or it
can take place gradually over a long
deserving of them; the
period of time. People sometimes
compliment carries an implied behave consistently with their
threat. organismic experience and sometime
How does one become a person? in accordance with their shattered
1. The individual must make contact self-concept.
with another person
2. The individual develops a need to be Psychotherapy
loved, referred to as positive regard  The client-centered approach
3. Finally, the individual then develops holds that in order for vulnerable
a prizing or valuing of one’s self or anxious people to grow
called positive self-regard psychologically, they must come
in contact with a therapist who is
What are the barriers to psychological congruent and whom they
health? perceive as providing an
1. Conditions of worth (accepted “only atmosphere of unconditional
if”) acceptance and accurate empathy
2. Incongruence (between our self-
concept and our organismic Conditions
experience - First, an anxious or vulnerable
a. Vulnerability occurs when we client must come into contact with
lack awareness of our a congruent therapist who also
incongruence possesses empathy and
 unconditional positive regard for - They are “experiencing a warm,
that client. positive and accepting attitude
- Next the client must perceive these toward what is the client
characteristics in the therapist. - A non-possessive warmth and
- Finally the contact between client acceptance, not an effusive,
and therapist must be of some effervescent persona.
duration. Emphatic Listening
- The counselor congruence, - Empathy exists when therapists
unconditional positive regard and accurately sense the feelings of
emphatic listening are both their clients and are able to
necessary and sufficient. communicate these perceptions so
that clients know that another
Counselor Congruence person has entered their world of
- To be congruent means to be real feelings without prejudice,
or genuine to be whole or projection, or evaluation.
integrated truly is. - To Rogers (1980), empathy
- Not simply a kind and friendly “means temporarily living in the
person but rather a complete other’s life, moving about in it
human being with feelings of joy, delicately without making
anger, frustration, confusion. judgments” (p. 142). Empathy
- Not passive, not aloof and not non does not involve interpreting
directive clients’ meanings or uncovering
- Congruent therapists are not static their unconscious feelings,
- They wear no mask, do not attempt procedures that would entail an
to fake a pleasant façade and avoid external frame of reference and a
any pretense of friendliness and threat to clients.
affection when these emotions are  Not an easy task
not truly felt.  The counselor must be congruent
- They do not fake angel, toughness which involves being aware of
or ignorance nor do they cover up - Feelings of the client
feelings of joy, elation, or - Expressions of the client
happiness  Unconditional positive regard
- Involves (1) Feelings (2) must be present
awareness (3) expression,  Empathic listening is when the
incongruence can arise from either therapist accurately senses the
of the two points dividing these feeling of their client and are able
three experiences. to communicate with the client in
an open way
Unconditional Positive Regard
  Therapeutic change is a process Indeed, if therapy were to be
that occurs in stages terminated at this point, clients
would still progress to the next
level.

- Stage 7 can occur outside the

Stages of Therapeutic Change
therapeutic encounter, because
- Stage 1 is characterized by an
growth at Stage 6 seems to be
unwillingness to communicate
irreversible. Clients who reach
anything about oneself
Stage 7 become fully functioning
“persons of tomorrow” (a concept
- In Stage 2, clients become slightly
more fully explained in the section
less rigid. They discuss external
titled The Person of Tomorrow).
events and other people, but they
still disown or fail to recognize
- In addition, they become
their own feelings oneself.
congruent, possess unconditional
positive self-regard, and are able to
- Stage 3, they more freely talk
be loving and empathic toward
about self, although still as an
others.
object. “I’m doing the best I can at
work, but my boss still doesn’t like
Persons of Tomorrow
me.”
1. More adaptable
2. Open to their experiences
- Stage 4 begin to talk of deep
3. To live fully in the moment
feelings but not ones presently felt.
4. Remain confident of their own
- Stage 5, they have begun to
ability to experience harmonious
undergo significant change and
relations with others
growth. They can express feelings
5. More integrated, more whole with
in the present, although they have
no artificial boundary between
not yet accurately symbolized
conscious processes and
those feelings.
unconscious ones
6. A basic trust of human nature
- Stage 6 experience dramatic
7. They would enjoy a greater
growth and an irreversible
richness in life than do other
movement toward becoming fully
people
functioning or self-actualizing.
Stage 6 signals an end to therapy.

 Lectured around the world