CARL ROGERS:

SELF-ACTUALIZATION
THEORY
BIOGRAPHY OF
CARL RANSOM ROGERS
- Born in 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois
- Fourth child in a family of six
- His parents held strict religious views and
emphasized moral behavior, the suppression
of displays of emotion, and the virtue of
hard work.
- He read incessantly to escape loneliness
which led him to depend on his own
resources and experiences, his personal view
of the world.
- He had interest in science and farming.
- He attended an international Christian
student conference in Beijing, China which
brought great shift in his emotional and
intellectual independence.
BIOGRAPHY OF
CARL RANSOM ROGERS
- He attended an international Christian
student conference in Beijing, China which
brought great shift in his emotional and
intellectual independence.
- In 1924, he graduated from the University of
Wisconsin, got married to Helen Elliott and
enrolled at Union Theological Seminary in
New York.
- After 2 years, he transferred to Teachers
College of Columbia University to study
clinical and educational psychology.
- He received his Ph.D. in 1931 and joined the
staff of the Child Study Department of the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children in Ronchester, New York.
BIOGRAPHY OF
CARL RANSOM ROGERS
- He worked at Ohio State University as professor in
psychology.
- He worked at the University of Chicago from 1945-
1957, teaching and developing the Counseling Center.
- He taught at the University of Wisconsin from 1957-
1963.
- In 1964, he became a resident fellow at the Western
Behavioral Sciences Institute in California.
- He served as president of the American Psychological
Association in 1946.
- He received various awards due to his major
contributions to psychology and counseling.
 - Non-directive or client centered therapy
PERSON-CENTERED - The ability to change and improve personality is centered
within the person.
THERAPY - The current feelings and emotions have a greater impact on
personality.
 The inborn
tendency to
actualize, to
develop our
abilities and The individual’s
FULLY potentials, from the ultimate goal is to
FUNCTIONING
PERSON strictly biological to ACTUALIZE THE
the most SELF
sophisticated
psychological
aspects of our
being
THE SELF AND THE TENDENCY
TOWARD ACTUALIZATION
SELF-
UNDERSTANDING
or SELF-INSIGHT
▪ An acceptance of self and
reality, and a sense of
responsibility for the self
 The process by which we
ORGANISMIC judge experiences in
VALUING terms of their value for
PROCESS fostering or hindering
our actualization and
growth.
 THE
EXPERIENTIAL
WORLD
a frame of reference or
context that influences
our growth
PHENOMENOLOGY
• The only reality of which we
can be sure is our own
subjective world of experience,
our inner perception of reality.
• As the actualization tendency
in infancy leads us to grow
and develop, our experiential
world broadens.
➢Experience is the highest
authority.
THE
DEVELOPMENT
OF THE SELF IN
CHILDHOOD
Image of what
we are, what
we should be
and what we
would like to
be
 UNCONDITIONAL
POSITIVE REGARD
- approval is granted
regardless of a person’s
behavior may it be desirable
POSITIVE or undesirable

REGARD POSITIVE SELF-REGARD

• the condition under which we

grant ourselves acceptance
and approval
CONDITIONS OF
WORTH
• A belief that we are worthy
of approval only when we
express desirable behaviors
and attitudes and refrain
from expressing those that
bring disapproval from
others.
CONGRUENCE
CONGRUENCE
o Characteristics of psychologically
healthy people:
▪ Able to perceive themselves, other people,
and events in their world much as they really
are
▪ Open to new experiences because nothing
threatens their self-concept
▪ No need to deny or distort their perceptions
because as children they received
unconditional positive regard and did not
have to internalize any conditions of worth
▪ Feel worthy under all conditions and
situations and are able to use all their
experiences.
▪ Can develop and actualize all facets of the
self, proceeding toward the goal of
becoming a fully functioning person and
leading “the good life”
CHARACTERISTICS OF
FULLY FUNCTIONING
(self-actualizing) PERSONS

Live fully and richly in Trust in their own

Aware of all experience
every moment organism

Create and live

Feel free to make
constructively and
choices without
adaptively as May face difficulties
constraints or
environmental
inhibitions
conditions change
ASSESSMENT IN
ROGER’S THEORY
PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY
- The therapist explores the client’s feelings and
attitudes toward the self and toward other
people.

ENCOUNTER GROUPS
- A group therapy technique in which people
learn about their feelings and about how they
relate to one another.
 VIEW ON HUMAN
NATURE
- Free will vs determinism
- Social vs biological
- Present vs past
- Optimism vs pessimism
- Progressive vs regressive