CARL ROGERS’

PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY
PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY:
PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH

 Focus on unique, subjective

experience

 Similar to existentialists and Adler

 As seen in:
 Early emphasis on clarification of feeling
 Later expansion to “ frame of reference”
PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY:
HUMANISTIC APPROACH

 Clients as self-actualizing beings

 Acorn metaphor

 Innate drive toward growth, independence, integration,

fulfillment

 Human nature with trustworthy, positive core

PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY:
HUMANISTIC APPROACH
 If clients are like an acorn, then:
 Client as expert on own life, needs, goals

 Responsibility for change on client’s shoulders

 Remove obstacles in path of actualization

 Identify strengths and resources of client

 Downplay interpretations, advice, techniques

PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY:
CLIENT DIFFICULTIES
 Incongruence as discrepancy between real & ideal self

 Incongruent/dissonant material either integrated or

distorted/denied

 If latter, self organizes more rigidly to preserve false image

 Psychological tension arises, as organism attempts to maintain

distortion

 Breeds anxiety, vulnerability, shutting down experience

PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY:
THERAPEUTIC CHANGE

Ideal
Real
Self
Self

Real self merges with ideal self

PERSON-CENTERED THERAPY:
THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP

 Core Conditions (“ necessary & sufficient” )

 Two persons in contact, client incongruence

 Therapist congruence

 Therapist empathic understanding

 Therapist unconditional positive regard

 Empathy & positive regard conveyed to client