CARL ROGERS AND THE HUMANISTIC APPROACH TO PERSONALITY

·  Self Theory

·  Client-Person centered psychotherapy.

·  Fairly easy to learn. No need for long years of training and personal analysis.

·  Helping professions developed and spread to:

-  Educational counselors

-  Guidance counselors

-  Social workers

·  Carl Rogers background in agriculture, religion, and philosophy.

·  Worked with delinquent and underprivileged kids in Rochester, NY (Rochester Guidance Center).

·  Founded the “Center for Studies of the Person”

in La Jolla, California in 1964 and remained there until his death.

·  First to invite researches to film and tape record his own sessions with clients.

Humanists Theory is based on:

·  The Organism and The Self.

-  Organism is the physical body with ideas of itself both inside and out.

-  The Self is the “I” or “Me” consciousness of oneself through its experience.

·  Both aid in a person reaching one’s full potential.

·  Accomplished by developing self-awareness and self-acceptance.

·  People are basically good and strive for self-actualization; to become all that they are capable of becoming.

·  Inner growth, inner knowledge, and self-love are the keys to self-actualization.

Psychological Problems are due to:

·  People not being true to themselves and instead act as others want or expect them to be.

·  When there isn’t a match between how a person views themselves and how others perceive them. Incongruence.

Example:

A little girl whose self-concept is:

·  A good girl.

·  Loved by her parents.

·  Fascinated with trains and machines.

·  Dreams about becoming a diesel engineer.

Parent’s traditional view of her:

·  They want her to have a profession but not a “man’s job”.

·  Strongly disapprove of her interests.

Result:

·  Girl revises her self-image and values herself less and sees herself as a “bad girl” for not wanting to take her parent’s direction.

·  Her self-image does not match her parents image if her.

·  She may develop anxiety, denial, or defense mechanisms to cope.

Humanist View of Personality Development

·  No stage theory.

·  People develop from showing positive regard (love, compassion) towards others.

·  People develop from having a positive regard for themselves.

·  Positive regard is learned in infancy.

Humanists Therapy Involves:

·  Unconditional understanding and acceptance of the client.

·  Therapists remain nonjudgmental and supporting regardless of what the client is saying. Unconditional positive regard.

·  Clients are seen as equals in a working relationship with the therapist. They are encouraged in taking the lead on therapy (nondirective therapy).

·  Active listening is used. Listener repeats, rephrases, and asks for clarification of the statements made by the speaker.

·  Provide a warm, caring, and trusting environment.

·  The “Ahh Humm” approach.

·  Support Groups and Group Therapy sessions were developed from this approach.

Humanistic Approach Weaknesses

·  Most helpful with well-educated, motivated people.

·  Works best for people who experience anxiety, mild depression, or problems in their social relationships.

·  Ineffective with major depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.

·  Does not probe or analyze dreams or repressed thoughts.