1. Chapter Six: Carl Rogers and Person-Centered Theory

2. Biographical Information: Carl Rogers
Born in 1902, 4th of 6 children to a farm family in Illinois
Religion was central in the family
Traveled to China, had a significant change of view

3. Historical Context Watson’s Behaviorism
Otto Rank, Elizabeth Davis play central roles
Influenced by John Dewey
Struggled with Psychiatry and Psychology
Respected Gadfly—Boundary stretcher
Person-centered philosophy emerges

4. Theoretical Principles
Theory of personality:
Self-theory
Value of experience
Learning and growth potential
Conditions of worth

5. Theory of Psychopathology
Failure to learn from experience
Failure to let go of limiting parental introjects

6. Theory of Psychotherapy
Therapist must trust the client
Therapist must establish a certain type of relationship

7. Core Conditions Congruence Unconditional Positive Regard
Accurate Empathy

8. The Practice of Person-Centered Therapy
Preparing yourself
Preparing your client
Opening statement
Assessment Issues

9. Specific Therapy Techniques
Experiencing and expressing congruence
Experiencing and expressing unconditional positive regard
Experiencing and expressing empathic understanding

10. Extended Case Example
Carl Rogers interviews
Mrs. PS.

11. Therapy Outcomes Research
Rogers as first “scientist-practitioner”
Some researchers indicate that person-centered not as effective as more structured therapies—but is more effective than placebo.
Possible that lack of understanding of theory/therapy contributes to research problems.

12. Multicultural Perspective
Culturally sensitive?
Lacking in directiveness?
Example of Rogers’ ventures into a bit of Eastern philosophy

13. Concluding Comments
Rogers and relationship—a central, abiding tenet

14. Student Review Assignments
Critical corner
Reviewing key terms
Review questions

15. Critical Corner
At the core of person centered theory is the concept of trusting the individual. Theoretically, if an individual receives that special relationship Rogers speaks of then he or she will move naturally toward self-actualization. Basically, there are two problems with this assumption. First, it’s impossible for individuals to have such an ideal environment all the time and so even if everyone had this inherent actualizing tendency, it would constantly be thwarted by real relationships in the real world. Second, with all the hate, prejudice, and evil in the world today, the evidence is certainly not in support of Rogers’ rose-colored theory.

16. Critical Corner (continued)
Rogers typically saw clients for 50 or more therapy sessions. This snail’s pace of change is simply unacceptable in today’s economy and with the needs of the modern client. How can person centered therapy be practical when it takes so long to establish that special type of relationship and healing environment?

17. Critical Corner (continued)
Often cognitive and behavioral researchers use “nondirective” therapy as a control group or placebo condition to which they compare the efficacy of their therapeutic techniques. If researchers are just using this form of therapy as something equivalent to a placebo treatment, how can we justify using it as a real treatment with real people in the real world?

18. Critical Corner (continued)
Traditional psychoanalytic forms of therapy have “making the unconscious conscious” or “insight” as their primary therapy goal. Some critics claim there is no scientific evidence of the unconscious. Where do you stand on this issue? Are there unconscious processes that affect interpersonal relationships?

19. Critical Corner (continued)
If all people need to recover from their suffering is a kind and loving relationship, then why go to graduate school. Couldn’t we just train legions of volunteers to display a saintly-like loving attitude and a lot of patience and thereby eradicate all suffering in our lifetime?

20. Critical Corner (continued)
Person centered therapy is fine for the worried well who enjoy and can benefit from examining themselves in perpetuity. But when it comes to treating people who have clear behavioral skills deficits or who are suffering from some sort of oppression, a more directive and problem-solving approach is necessary.

21. Reviewing Key Terms Organism Self Incongruence
Actualizing or formative tendency
Positive regard
Self-regard
Subception

22. Key Terms (continued) Psychological contact Congruence
Unconditional Positive Regard
Empathic Understanding
Intellectual empathy
Emotional empathy
Imaginative empathy

23. Key Terms (continued) Traditional person-centered therapy
Contemporary person-centered therapy
Process-experiential psychotherapy
Motivational interviewing
The child’s game or special time

24. Review Questions
1. What innovative procedure did Rogers introduce to the study of psychotherapy that causes some historians to refer to him as the first modern psychotherapy researcher?
2.  From the person-centered perspective, what is the main cause of psychopathology and what is the main characteristic of psychopathology?

25. Review Questions
What is the empathy question and what might be its uses and limits in helping therapists have empathy with their clients?
What are the dangers and benefits of experiencing and expressing congruence during therapy?
What is the person-centered perspective with regard to psychological assessment?

26. Review Questions
What is the empathy question and what might be its uses and limits in helping therapists have empathy with their clients?
What are the dangers and benefits of experiencing and expressing congruence during therapy?
What is the person-centered perspective with regard to psychological assessment?