Genuineness and Empathy of Rodgers - Coursework Example

THE DIFFRENCES BETWEEN GENINESS AND EMPATHY OF RODGERS, AND THE IDEAL OF AUTHENTICITY IN EXSISTENTIALISM There are various explanations towards human behavior and the constituents of the person. This paper provides a clear picture on the differences between Rodgers’ genuineness and empathy. Furthermore, the paper also analyses the authenticity in existentialism. Rodgers was a key contributor towards self-actualization, theory of self and client-centered therapy. His personality theory was because of own individual research wok throughout his life. He is the father of humanistic psychology as he was the proponent of the fact that individuals are free to choose their behaviors and actions. This is different from behaviorists’ theorist and psychoanalysts. He is acknowledge as the first among his peers to refer people as clients rather than patients. Validation of the Rodgerian psychotherapy was through scientific and clinical analysis. Maslow (2013) states that people are generally seeking to achieve certain needs and that some needs took precedence over others. Rodgers believed in the assumptions of this theory and this played a key part in informing his studies in psychology. He believed that through self-actualization individuals become fully functioning individuals leading good life. Rodgers, (1961) states that by self-actualization the individual would have a positive healthy psychological outlook, trust his or her own feelings, and have congruence between oneself an experiences. As a humanistic psychologist, Rodgers believed that individuals need acceptance, genuineness, and empathy in order to grow. He believed that relationships and health personalities develops from the factors of genuineness, empathy and acceptance. (McLeod, 2014) His main works dwelled mostly on the “self”. His theory is about how individuals perceive and interpret events. Analyses of individual personality from the point of view of the individual’s subjective experiences are what inform humanistic psychology. Phenomenological psychology refers to this type of psychology. For Rodgers psychotherapy is a good genuine relationship with discipline. The development of person-centered therapy from client centered and patient centered therapy arose from the works of Rodgers. Self-actualization arises when the individual obtains their potential including creativity. From the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs this arise from the satisfaction of other needs even if not wholly. (Maslow, 2013) Rodgers believed that self-actualization is achievable this emanates from the individual’s achievement of one’s goals, dreams and aspirations in life. Accordingly, he believed that self-actualization results from the congruence between one ideal self and self-image. This results from the fully functioning individual who is actively aware of subjective emotions, is in touch with time and is continually growing and changing. Genuineness according to Rodgers is all about openness and self-disclosure. It involves therapist’s honesty while dealing with the client. This will result in role modelling and the client will develop honesty as such. Genuineness defines congruence and is a key issue in person-centered therapy. According to Rodgers, it is the most important aspect in counselling. He infers that therapists should allow clients to experience them as they really are. There is similarity of internal and external experiences of the therapists. According to McLeod, (2013) the therapist is authentic. For the therapist to be genuine they need to be real and be open when dealing with the client. According to Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi (2014) empathy refers to multifaceted tool for understanding capacity to share and understand the thoughts and feelings of others. They distinguish between emotional empathy and cognitive empathy. From their research they define emotional empathy as the capacity to share or be aroused by others emotional state. Cognitive empathy on the other hand will refer to ability to put oneself in the mind of other individual o be able to understand what they are thinking. Empathy in humanistic psychology means entering by the therapist into the clients’ frame of mind and thought. Rodgers said that therapists must be clients themselves. This involves them being more than just understanding of the clients’ situation but also try to be in that situation themselves. In so doing the therapists will act as mere administrators of remedies and the client being the guide. The therapist has to experience other persons’ life by joining their thoughts, feelings, emotions and meanings. Rodgers, 2012 states that the regard by the counsellor on the experiences of the client, which may be different from their own experiences, is what involves empathy. It is not being sorry on ones’ feelings but it is a clear attempt of putting oneself on the shoe of the other individual. Empathy involves trying to help through understanding of the other persons’ situational experiences. Empathy does not involve being sympathetic. The therapists should find the clients by fist finding themselves. By understanding themselves first, they will help the clients in tackling their issue. Empathetic therapists will fist tune themselves before tuning others. Furthermore, it is important that the therapists try their suggestions on themselves first before offering the same to these clients. Authenticity describes the sense of being faithfully original. This is to mean that, for one to be authentic they must possess what they profess to be. Heidegger's on the other hand distinguishes "leaping in and dominating", which he sees as genuine, which "takes care from the other." - .e. takes care of the other, takes responsibility for the other. And "leaping forth and liberating", which is authentic, which does not take care from the other, does not take care of the other, but demands that the other take responsibility for his/her own care. Existentialism emanated from works of a group of European philosophers with clear doctrinal differences. They believed that philosophical thinking begins with human subjects. Existential psychotherapy directly aims at providing sense towards human existence. The method operates on the belief that internal conflict is due to the individuals’ confrontation with the ultimate concerns of existence. They provide a framework through which the therapist understands the clients’ problem and provide means of treatment, (May, 1958). The key issue in this theory is that meaning of an individuals’ life is their own self-responsibility and no one else can make decisions or give meaning to it. Rhodes & Chalik (2013) wrote that authenticity is choosing the nature of ones’ existence and identity. He linked authenticity and morality by creating the notion that by leading a moral life one will lead authentic life. Existential authenticity is a product of long philosophical traditions concerned with what it means to be human, what it means to be happy, and what it means to be oneself. Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi (2014), Maslow, (2013) states that authenticity arises from the act of individuals understanding owns’ experiences rather than trying to interpret worlds’ concepts and abstractions. Authentic existence will arise from individuals making meaning of how they liv their lives. Existentialists admire not the happiness of on life, righteousness of his act, and goodness of his disposition but authenticity of his existence, (Rhodes, & Chalik, 2013). According to Rollo May (1958) science assumes that reality is lawful and therefore understandable making it an important tool for therapists. Empathy and genuineness are key aspects in counselling and psychotherapy. The two critical aspects help both the clients and therapists. It is also worth noting that an individual should analyze freedom in the existence and avoid falling into other aspects such as bad faith. According to Dr. Ellenberger therapists need to widen the “blinders” when dealing with their clients. This will enable them to have a fresh clarity on the laid down facts to enhance the psychological experience, (May, 1958). References Maslow, A. H. (2013). Toward a psychology of being. Simon and Schuster. May, R. (1958). The origins and significance of the existential movement in psychology. McLeod, S. A. (2014). Carl Rodgers. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rodgers.html Rhodes, M., & Chalik, L. (2013). Social categories as markers of intrinsic interpersonal obligations. Psychological Science, 24(6), 999-1006. Rodgers. C. R. (1951). Client centered therapy: Its current practice, implications and theory. London: Constable. Rodgers. C. R. (1961). On becoming a person. A psychotherapist’s view of psychology. Houghton. Mittlin. Rogers, C. (2012). Client Centred Therapy (New Ed). Hachette UK. Seligman, M. E., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). Positive psychology: An introduction. In Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 279-298). Springer Netherlands. Read More