Person-Centered Theory - Research Paper Example

Table of Contents 1.0.Introduction 1 2.0.Background information about the theory 2 3.0.Features of the theory 3 3.1.Genuineness or congruence 3 3.2.Unconditional positive regard 4 3.3.Accurate empathic understanding 4 4.0.The applicability of the features 5 5.0.The positives of the theory 7 6.0.The negatives of the theory 8 7.0.Conclusion 8 Person Centered Theory 1.0. Introduction This theory was developed by Carl Rogers as a reaction against what was viewed as the limitations of psychoanalysis. It is a humanistic therapy that helps in highlighting the experiences of a person and phenomenal life (Gillon, 2007). One critical feature of the theory is that it works mainly as a facilitator of individual’s growth and this is done by assisting clients or individuals to realize their own abilities for solving problems. This feature on the other hand, helps in understanding benefits or positive attributes of the theory. To begin with, the theory is a motivational factor in the sense that it places faith in a person’s capacity to lead the process of therapy and find amicable solution. Contrariwise, scholars such as Natiello (2006) have cited some disadvantages with the theory. That is, the theory may not prompt the needed relationship between the person and the therapist. This report critically assesses persons centered theory, its critical features and how it is applied in a social work. 2.0. Background information about the theory As it has already been put in the precious section, this theory was developed by Carl Rogers as a result of working with individuals facing different types of personal challenges, problems or disturbances in places of work or living (Rogers, 1957). The theory was also developed to assist troubled children but this was later expanded and his theoretical approach was re-stated to deal with social workers, families and couples (Rogers, 1961). As a matter of fact, the most comprehensive theoretical statement about this particular theory and how it was applied was published as a chapter in Sigmund Koch’s book Psychology: A Study of a Science (Vol. III) (Worsley, 2012). This publication further extended the significance, importance and applicability of the theory with regard to personality development, motivation, interpersonal relationship at places of work and group interaction. Nevertheless, Rogers extrapolated person centered theory to marriage, education, personal power and conflict resolution. To conceptualize this point, World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling (WAPCEPC) is a good example of the theory’s historical development in social work (Merry & Brodley, 2010). Still on the theory’s historical development in social work, scholars such as Barret-Lennard (2003) has argued that therapeutic relationship is a significant part of successful outcome in places of work and it is what Rogers outlined that has been helping people to core-exist in different places of work or interaction. This view has been supported by Mearns and Cooper (2009) who postulate that through the theory, there has been better outcome especially when one follows Roger’s core conditions. A good example of what Mearns and Cooper give is the Association for the Development of the Person-Centered Approach (ADPCA) that works with families and employees who are affected psychologically. 3.0. Features of the theory In general, the key feature of the theory is that it rejects the idea of person’s basic negative attitudes. This feature contradicts argument by authors such as Natiello (2006) who believe that human beings are by virtue of nature destructive and irrational of others and self unless they are socialized. The cornerstone of Rogers’ argument is that there is need for a deep belief, trust and faith in human beings. Other features of the theory are as follows: 3.1. Genuineness or congruence With regard to genuineness as a feature of the theory, Rogers argue that the therapist will always be real (Gillon, 2007). During the therapy hour, especially the one dealing with individual with social problems at places of work it should be considered that therapist is integrated, genuine and authentic during the period of therapy. This has been expressed differently by scholars such as Barret-Lennard (2003) who argues that with genuineness, therapists have no false front and for that case, their inner experiences as well as outer expression of the experience or problem to be tackled always match. Still on this feature, Worsley (2012) argues that it helps clients understand the fact that therapists will always express attitudes ad feelings that are exhibited by the clients. 3.2. Unconditional positive regard The second feature of this theory is that therapists should communicate to their clients deeply as well as by showing genuine care. The caring throughout the process of counseling should be unconditional in the sense that it should not be contaminated or affected by judgment or evaluation of client or therapist’s feelings (Rogers, 1961). Natiello (2006) puts this feature differently adding that the therapist has the obligation of warmly accepting the person or client without prior stipulations on the acceptance. Scholars have stretched the underpinnings of acceptance by arguing that this should be the process of recognizing the rights and views of the client to have and express feelings (Gillon, 2007; Barret-Lennard, 2003). These views insinuate that the aspect of unconditional positive treatment should not an all-or none characteristic instead, like the case with congruence, this feature is about degree on a continuum. 3.3. Accurate empathic understanding One of the critical features that Rogers discusses with regard to the theory is that therapists have the obligation of understanding accurately and sensitively the experience and feelings of the client as they will be revealed by the client during moment-moment interaction (Rogers, 1961). This feature if well executed helps clients to get closer and closer to her or his feelings. With regard to the therapists, empathy means reflection of the content to the client and in so doing one should what problems and challenges the client has and interpret them as if they are ones. Another salient feature of the therapy is that it is based on the premise that persons or clients have an innate striving for self-actualisation. This is to mean that Rogers viewed clients and their problems as phenomenological. It means that one can structure himself or herself according to perfections they have. Therefore the process of therapy should ensure that people are motivated to become self-actualised in reality that one perceives or in reality where they face challenges and obstacles (Natiello, 2006). In general what this feature explains about the theory is that individuals or for this matter clients have the ability to understand and conceptualise the factors in their lives that cause problems or unhappiness. Additionally, they have ability for constructive personal change and self-direction. 4.0. The applicability of the features Unconditional positive regard has been applied differently in social works by therapists and psychologists. Taking a case of managers and shareholders who fail to agree on the costs and development of new projects, Natiello (2006) argues that unconditional positive regard has been applied when mediating this scenario. In his approach to this feature, he adds that centers such as Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organisation have thrived in counseling because their clients feel that they are offered consistently accepting valuing attitude and non-judgmental treatment from the therapist/psychologist. For Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organisation, non-possessive love constitute is what constitute unconditional positive regard and has been applied in mediating couples in different centers. He adds, “therapy without due consideration to unconditional positive regard or put it simply a warm acceptance will be misjudging” (p. 39). While scholars such as Mearns and Cooper (2009) have argued that this feature is the most challenging of all the three stated, its applicability has been based on the premise that there is need to listen and respond to every client. This is what has been happening in medical practice where patients have been shown warm nature of the experience instead of a cold reception or form of passive acceptance. Person centered theory strive to cultivate ability for unconditional acceptance towards people or clients regardless of his or her desires, values and behaviors. Conclusively, the applicability of this feature is that therapists should always maintain warm, caring and compassionate attitude towards clients. Accurate empathic understanding has been applied where therapists deal with couples, workers and families at large. When therapists or psychologist engage clients it is needed that they listen attentively to what a client is feeling, not only through words, but through all forms of bodily communication and non-verbal ones. Therefore applicability of this feature in real life aims at assessing how best therapists understand perfection of clients, reactions and feelings of this client. Margaret, a therapist at Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organisation argues that there are a number of strategies that can be employed to conceptualise this feature. One of the ways she suggests is that in order to help client is to pose the question ‘is this how it is for you?’ It is for this reason that Rogers moved away from the term reflection and picked empathy to help therapists to test understandings or assessing perceptions. This in practice has been accurate descriptions of what is happening for managers, couples and workers. It has also been helpful in moment tracking of a person’s frame of reference at any given moment. Taking a case below from client; “I have been having difficult time in the recent past. What with all the problems and the disruption at my place of work is overwhelming. It is just seems as if my boss and other colleagues can’t help. It has been terrible both at home with my husband and my boss (becoming tearful)…yes I’m at my wits end” In this case, the client has expressed a number of views and situations. The most apparent case is that her recent dreadful moment at place of work has been a disruption at home. In this case, therapist does not need to ask for a lot of questions about the dreadful or disruption but offer an empathic reflection of the experience. Genuineness or congruence entail in practice, to be aware of the extent of their organismic experiencing (Gillon, 2007). In actual practice, congruence underpins the experiencing of unconditional positive attitude and empathy. Taking a case of Worsley (2012), the argument is that when dealing with clients in real life situation, when a counselor is not aware of his or her organismic experiencing, the counselor is categorized as incongruent and for that matter make the experience and life very the client and his or herself. 5.0. The positives of the theory One positive of the theory is that it is offers personal change or what Worsley (2012) calls as ‘a client has capacity for self-direction and constructive individual change’ (p. 219). However, it has to be noted that this positive trend will be realized if congruent therapist can be able to establish with the person or client a relationship made of warmth, accurate and acceptance empathic understanding. Secondly, this theory places responsibility for the choice and decision on the client rather than the therapists. In so doing, clients are open to experience as well as trusting in one’s organism thus developing locus of evaluation and willingness to become a process. Worsley (2012) explains this positive differently, using genuineness or congruence as a point of his departure; he argues that the theory does not impose values and goals to clients. Finally, theory is not static because Rogers intended to develop a set of working principles that would form a tentative hypothesis concerning situations facilitating individual growth. 6.0. The negatives of the theory One challenge of the theory is that it lies in the way in which some therapists or practitioners simplify or misinterpret the central opinion and attitude of the person-centered position. Worsley (2012) argues that a number of practitioners have failed to execute the theory since some of its principles and features are not easily understood by therapists especially when attempting to become carbon copies of Rogers’ views. Secondly the theory has limitation when one considers how practitioners try to be person centered. In so doing, both the client and the practitioners lose a sense of their own personhood as well as uniqueness. Secondly, there is a possibility that the practitioner may focus on the person or client so much that s/he ignores the value of her or his own power as an individual and therefore loses the effect and influence of her or his personality on the client. 7.0. Conclusion Based on factors that have been discussed person centered approach has significantly contributed in other ways to group and individual counseling situation. Based on the features that have been discussed, the theory offers what can be seen as humanistic base from which one can understand the subjective world of clients. Additionally, this is a theory that tends to offer immediate solution to what clients are having problems on. However, the features as outlined should be streamlined so that the theory acts as a mirror that reflects the deeper understanding and feelings of a client. References Barret-Lennard, G.T. (2003). Carl Rogers’ Helping System: Journey and Substance. London: Sage Publications. Gillon, E. (2007). Person Centered Theory Psychology: an introduction. Sage Publications: London. Mearns, D., & Cooper, M. (2009). Working at Relational Depth in Counseling and Psychotherapy. London: Sage Publications. Merry, T., & Brodley, B.T. (2010). A Non Directive attitude to Client Centered Therapy. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 42(2), 66-77. Natiello, P. (2006). The Person Centered Approach: a passionate presence. Ross-on-Wye : PCCS Books. Rogers, C.R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21, 95-103. Rogers, C.R. (1961). On becoming a person: a therapists view of psychotherapy. London: Constable. Worsley, R. (2012). Process work in Person Centered Psychotherapy: Phenomenological and Existential Perspectives. Basingstoke, Palgrave. Read More

The cornerstone of Rogers’ argument is that there is need for a deep belief, trust and faith in human beings. Other features of the theory are as follows: 3.1. Genuineness or congruence With regard to genuineness as a feature of the theory, Rogers argue that the therapist will always be real (Gillon, 2007). During the therapy hour, especially the one dealing with individual with social problems at places of work it should be considered that therapist is integrated, genuine and authentic during the period of therapy.

This has been expressed differently by scholars such as Barret-Lennard (2003) who argues that with genuineness, therapists have no false front and for that case, their inner experiences as well as outer expression of the experience or problem to be tackled always match. Still on this feature, Worsley (2012) argues that it helps clients understand the fact that therapists will always express attitudes ad feelings that are exhibited by the clients. 3.2. Unconditional positive regard The second feature of this theory is that therapists should communicate to their clients deeply as well as by showing genuine care.

The caring throughout the process of counseling should be unconditional in the sense that it should not be contaminated or affected by judgment or evaluation of client or therapist’s feelings (Rogers, 1961). Natiello (2006) puts this feature differently adding that the therapist has the obligation of warmly accepting the person or client without prior stipulations on the acceptance. Scholars have stretched the underpinnings of acceptance by arguing that this should be the process of recognizing the rights and views of the client to have and express feelings (Gillon, 2007; Barret-Lennard, 2003).

These views insinuate that the aspect of unconditional positive treatment should not an all-or none characteristic instead, like the case with congruence, this feature is about degree on a continuum. 3.3. Accurate empathic understanding One of the critical features that Rogers discusses with regard to the theory is that therapists have the obligation of understanding accurately and sensitively the experience and feelings of the client as they will be revealed by the client during moment-moment interaction (Rogers, 1961).

This feature if well executed helps clients to get closer and closer to her or his feelings. With regard to the therapists, empathy means reflection of the content to the client and in so doing one should what problems and challenges the client has and interpret them as if they are ones. Another salient feature of the therapy is that it is based on the premise that persons or clients have an innate striving for self-actualisation. This is to mean that Rogers viewed clients and their problems as phenomenological.

It means that one can structure himself or herself according to perfections they have. Therefore the process of therapy should ensure that people are motivated to become self-actualised in reality that one perceives or in reality where they face challenges and obstacles (Natiello, 2006). In general what this feature explains about the theory is that individuals or for this matter clients have the ability to understand and conceptualise the factors in their lives that cause problems or unhappiness.

Additionally, they have ability for constructive personal change and self-direction. 4.0. The applicability of the features Unconditional positive regard has been applied differently in social works by therapists and psychologists. Taking a case of managers and shareholders who fail to agree on the costs and development of new projects, Natiello (2006) argues that unconditional positive regard has been applied when mediating this scenario. In his approach to this feature, he adds that centers such as Caribbean Kids and Families Therapy Organisation have thrived in counseling because their clients feel that they are offered consistently accepting valuing attitude and non-judgmental treatment from the therapist/psychologist.

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