PersonCentered Therapy Carl Rogers 1902 1987 Biography n

Person-Centered Therapy Carl Rogers 1902 -1987

Biography n Child Guidance Clinic- Rochester ¨ 1939 Published The Clinical Treatment of the Problem Child n Ohio State University – Professor 1939 ¨ 1942 Published Counseling and Psychotherapy v Tapes and transcribes therapy sessions to study more objectively therapy process and outcome 2

Biography U. of Chicago, Professor and Director Counseling Center 1945 n U. Wisconsin-Madison 1957 n ¨ Research with hospitalized patients Higher levels of accurate empathy leads to more positive outcomes n Client's perception of the relationship is better predictor of outcome than therapist's perception of the relationship n n Center for Studies of the Person in California 1968 3

Humanistic Psychology Each of us has a natural potential that we can actualize and through which we can find meaning in life n Emphasizes the importance of the person's subjective experience n ¨ Phenomenological approach – exploration method that uses human experience as main source of data 4

Human Nature: Main Concepts n Self-Actualizing Tendency ¨ Basic human drive toward growth, completeness, and fulfillment n Internal Locus of Evaluation ¨ Events that enhance the self actualizing tendency are judged positively and vice-versa. n Need for Positive Regard ¨ Feeling accepted by others 5

Human Nature: Main Concepts n Self-Concept/Self-Regard ¨ Learned through the perceptions of regard and acceptance from others n Conditions of Worth ¨ Expectations or demands we perceive from others in order to receive their acceptance ¨ These perceptions are internalized and sometimes are out of our awareness 6

Psychopathology n INTERNALIZED CONDITIONS OF WORTH block the natural SELF-ACTUALIZING TENDENCY, creating a state of INCONGRUENCE between what ¨ we experience from within (internal locus) and ¨ what we believe we should be (conditions of worth) n To resolve the conflict, typically we distort or block the experiences from within 7

Anxiety n State of uneasiness or tension that occurs when the discrepancy between what I feel I need to be or do to be accepted and what I really want to do (internal locus of control) threatens to emerge ¨ Defense mechanisms are invoked to distort the "experiencing" from within, so that the person can conform with internalized external expectations (perceived or real) 8

Goal of Therapy n n Facilitate the client’s exploration of the parts of themselves that they have denied or distorted, to promote the self actualization process Given right therapeutic climate, clients will v Become more open to experience v Achieve self-trust v Develop an internal source of evaluation v Be willing to continue growing 9

Therapy Relationship: Three Conditions n Congruence or genuineness ¨ Agreement between the feelings and attitudes a therapist is experiencing and his or her professional demeanor n (Un)conditional positive regard ¨ Nonpossessive n caring and acceptance of the client Accurate empathic understanding ¨ ability to deeply grasp the client's subjective world 10

Evolution of the Approach n Non-Directive Therapy n Client Centered Therapy n Person Centered Therapy 11

Person Centered Therapy n Emphasizes: ¨ Therapy as a journey shared by two fallible people ¨ The person’s innate striving for self-actualization ¨ The personal characteristics of therapist and the quality of therapeutic relationship ¨ The counselor’s creation of a permissive, “growth promoting” climate ¨ Being present in the relationship and focus on the client’s immediate experience 12

Interventions n Communicating Empathy ¨Attentive/Active listening ¨Express understanding ¨Openness to the client’s perspective ¨Techniques n Reflection of feeling: explicit and implicit n Paraphrasing and synthesizing 13

Motivational Interviewing n Humanistic, client-centered, psychosocial, directive counseling approach n Initially designed as a brief intervention for problem drinking n Promotes a collaborative process that focuses on solutions for behavioral problems – avoids a confrontational style n Emphasizes client’s abilities, strengths, resources, and competencies Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 7 (15) © 2013 Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning

Motivational Interviewing n Goal: reduce ambivalence and increase intrinsic motivation to change ¨ Reluctance to change - considered normal and expected part of therapeutic process ¨ Reflective listening, empathy, open-ended questions, nonconfrontational approach to resistance, support ¨ To increase motivation to change, reflect discrepancies between behaviors and values ¨ Elicit and reinforce “change talk”

Stage of Therapy Process • Pre-Contemplation No intention of changing Counselor: Nurturing Parent • Contemplation Awareness of problem, no commitment to change Counselor: Socratic teacher • Preparation Intend to take action; small changes Counselor: Coach • Action Engaged in change process Counselor: Consultant • Maintenance Consolidate gains and avoid relapse Counselor: Consultant 16

Contributions Roger’s Theory n Importance of the person of the counselor and of the relationship in therapeutic process n Initiated research in therapy process and outcome by taping sessions and studying the transcription of tapes n Research findings provide support for the importance of empathy in therapy outcome (Watson’s 2002 review) 17

Limitations Therapeutic conditions are necessary but not sufficient n Lack of clear goals and structure n Lack of challenge to clients n Lack of guidance regarding behavioral change n 18