Carl-Rogers - This is the summary of Carl Rogers Person Centered Theory from the Book of Feist PDF

Preview

Summary

This is the summary of Carl Rogers Person Centered Theory from the Book of Feist & Feist....

Description

Carl Rogers Overview of Client-Centered Theory 1. Rogers developed a humanistic theory of personality that grew out of his own experiences as a practicing psychotherapist. 2. Rogers was a consummate therapist but only a reluctant theorist 3. Rogers was more concerned with helping people than with discovering why they behaved as they did. 4. Built his theory on the scaffold provided by experience as a therapist. 5. Continually called for empirical research to support both his personality theory and his therapeutic approach. 6. Advocated a balance between tender-minded and hardheaded studies that would expand knowledge of how humans feel and think 7. Even though he formulated a rigorous, internally consistent theory of personality, he did not feel comfortable with the notion of theory 8. His personal preference was to be a helper of people and not a constructor of theories 9. Never systematically reformulated his theory or personality although many of his subsequent experiences altered some of those earlier ideas Biography of Carl Rogers 1. Born on January 8, 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois 2. The fourth (4th) of six children born to Walter Rogers and Julia Cushing Rogers 2a. rogers was closer to his mother than to his father 2b. during his early years, his father was often away from home working as a civil engineer 2c. both his parents were devoutly religious 2d. he learned the value of hard work from his parents, a value that, unlike religion, stayed with him throughout his life

3. Rogers had intended to become a farmer, and after he graduated from high school, he entered the University of Wisconsin as an agriculture major 3a. Soon became less interested in farming and became more devoted to religion -by his 3rd year at UW he was deeply involved in religious activities on campus -spent 6 months travelling to china to attend a student religious conference -made a lasting impression on rogers

religious

-the interaction with other young religious leaders changed him into a more liberal thinker and moved toward independence from views from his parents -these experiences with his fellow leaders also gave him more selfconfidence in social relationships -Unfortunately returned from the journey with an ulcer

4. When he returned to UW, he joined a fraternity, displayed more self-confidence and was a changed student from his pre-China days 5. In 1924, entered the Union Theological Seminary in New York with the intention of becoming a minister -while in seminar, he enrolled in several psychology and education course at Columbia University -was influenced by the progressive education movement by John Dewey, which was then strong at Teachers College, Columbia -became disenchanted with the doctrinaire attitude of religious work -Rogers decided that he did not wish to express a fixed set of beliefs but desired more freedom to explore new ideas 6. In 1926, he left the seminary to attend Teachers College on a full-time basis with a major in clinical and educational psychology -from this point, he never returned to formal religion -his life now headed towards a new direction: psychology and education 7. In 1927, he served as a fellow at the new Institute for Child Guidance in New York City and continued to work there while completing his doctoral degree

-gained an elementary knowledge of Freudian Psychoanalysis but was not much influenced by it, even though he tried it out in his practice -also attended a lecture by Alfred Adler who shocked rogers and the other staff members with his contention that an elaborate case history was unnecessary for psychotherapy 8. In 1931, he received a PhD from Columbia after having already moved to New York to work with the Rochester Society for the prevention of cruelty to children 9. During the early phase of his professional career, he was strongly influenced by the ideas of Otto Rank, one of Freud’s closest associate before his dismissal from Freud’s inner circle 10. In 1936, he invited Rank to Rochester for a 3 day seminar to present his new post-Freudian practice of psychotherapy -Rank’s lectures provided rogers with the notion that therapy is an emotional growthproducing relationship, nurtured by the therapist’s emphatic listening and unconditional acceptance of the client 11. Spent 12 years at Rochester working at a job that might easily have isolated him from a successful academic career 12. Had harbored a desire to teach in a university after a rewarding teaching experience during the summer of 1935 at Teachers College and after having taught courses in sociology at the University of Rochester -during this period, he wrote his first book The clinical treatment of the problem child (1939) -the publication led to a teaching offer from Ohio State University -two (2) reasons why rogers accepted the offer: -despite his fondness of teaching, he would’ve turned down the offer if not for his wife who urged him to accept it -OST had agreed to start him at the top, with the academic rank of full professor 13. In 1940, at the age of 38, rogers moved to Columbus to begin a new career 14. Pressed by his graduate students at OST, rogers gradually conceptualized his own ideas on psychotherapy, not intending them to be unique and certainly not controversial -these ideas were put forth in Counselling and Psychotherapy (1942) -the book was a reaction to the older approaches of therapy

-rogers minimized the causes of disturbances and the identification and labelling of disorders -emphasized the importance of growth within the patient (called by rogers the client) 15. In 1944, as part of the war effort, rogers moved back to New York as director of counselling services for the United Services Organization 16. After a year, he took position at the University of Chicago where he established a counselling center and was allowed more freedom to do research on the process and outcome of psychotherpy 17. The year 1945-1957 at Chicago were the most productive and creative of his career

the

-his therapy evolved from one that emphasized methodology (or what in the early 1940s was called the nondirective technique) to one in which the sole emphasis was on client-therapist relationship -always the scientist, rogers along with his students and colleagues, produced groundbreaking research on the process and effectiveness of psychotherapy

18. Wanting to expand his research and his ideas to psychiatry, rogers accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin in 1957 -he was frustrated with his stay at Wisconsin because he was unable to unite the professions of psychiatry and psychology -felt that some members of his own research staff had engaged in dishonesty and unethical behavior 19. Disappointed with his job at Wisconsin, he moved to California where he joined the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute and became increasingly interested in encounter groups 20. Resigned from WBSI when he felt it was becoming less democratic and along with 75 others from the institute, formed the Center for Studies of the Person -continued to work with encounter groups but extended his person-centered methods to education (including the training of physician) and to international politics 21. During the last years of his life, he led workshops in such countries as Hungary, Brazil, South Africa, and the former Soviet Union 22. Died on February 4, 1987 following surgery for a broken hip

23. His personal life was marked by change and openness to experience 24. As an adolescent, rogers was: 24a. extremely shy 24b. had no close friends 24c. was socially incompetent in any but superficial contacts 24d. have an active fantasy life -he later believed that it would have been diagnosed as schizoid 24e. his shyness and social ineptitude greatly restricted his experiences with women 25. When he originally entered the University of Wisconsin , he had only enough courage to ask out a young lady whom he had known in elementary school in Oak Park- Helen Elliott 25a. helen and rogers got married on 1924 and had two (2) children- David and Natalie 26. Despite his early problem with interpersonal relationships, Rogers grew to become a leading proponent of the notion that: - the interpersonal relationship between two (2) individuals is a powerful ingredient that cultivates psychological growth within both persons 27. Abandoned the formalized religion of his parents, gradually shaping a humanistic/ existential philosophy that he had hoped would bridge the gap between Eastern and Western thought 28. Received many honors during his long professional life: 28a. was the first president of the American Association for Applied Psychology -helped bring AAAP and American Psychological Association back together 28b. Served as president of APA for the year 1946-1947 28c. Served as the first president of American Academy of Psychotherapist 28d. in 1956, he was cowinner of the first Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award presented by APA

-this award was especially satisfying for rogers because it highlighted his skill as a researcher, a skill he learned well as a farm boy in Illinois 29. Originally saw little need for a theory of personality, but under pressure from others and also to satisfy an inner need to be able to explain the phenomena he was observing, he evolved his own theory, which was tentatively expressed in his APA presidential address 30. his theory was more fully espoused in Client-Centered Theraphy 31. his theory was more explained in greater detail in the Koch series 32.Rogers always insisted that the theory should remain tentative -it was with this thought that one should approach a discussion of Rogerian personality theory Person-Centered Theory 1. His concept of humanity remained basically unchanged from the early 1940s until his death in 1987 but his theory and therapy underwent several change in name 2. During the early years, his approach was known as: 2a. nondirective- an unfortunate term that remained associated with his name for far too long 2b. client-centered 2c. person-centered 2d. student-centered 2e. group-centered 2f. person to person 3. We use the label client-centered in reference to rogers therapy and the more inclusive term person-centered to refer to rogerian personality theory 4. In all the 23 theories, roger’s person centered theory comes closest to meeting an if-then framework (guides action)

5. Two (2) basic assumption of Person-Centered Theory: 5a. Formative tendency 5b. Actualizing tendency 6. Formative tendency 6a. there is a tendency for all matter, both organic and inorganic, to evolve from simpler to more complex forms 6b. for the entire universe, a creative process, rather than a disintegrative one, is in operation 6c. examples: -nature - human consciousness -evolves from a primitive unconsciousness to a highly organized awareness 7. Actualizing tendency 7a. an interrelated and more pertinent assumptions 7b. the tendency within all humans (and other animals and plants) to move toward completion or fulfillment of potentials -tendency is the only motive people possess 7c. example: -the need to satisfy one’s hunger drive -express deep emotions when they are felt - accept one’s self -all are examples of the single motive of actualization

7d. Because each person operates as one complete organism, actualization involves the whole person: -physiological and intellectual -rational and emotional -conscious and unconscious 7e. tendencies to maintain and to enhance the organism are subsumed within the actualizing tendency 7f. maintenance -a need that is similar to the lower steps of maslow’s hierarchy of needs -includes basic needs as food, air, safety -also includes the tendency to resist change and to seek the status quo -the conservative nature of maintenance needs is expressed in people’s desire to protect their current, comfortable self concept -people fight against new ideas -they distort experiences that do not quite fit -they find change painful and growth frightening 7g. Enhancement -the need to become more, to develop, and to achieve growth -the need for enhancing the self is seen in people’s willingness to learn things that are not immediately rewarding -rogers position is that people are willing to face threat and pain because of a biologically based tendency for the organism to fulfill its basic nature -expressed in a variety of forms -curiosity -playfulness

-self-exploration -friendship -confidence that one can achieve psychological growth -people have within themselves the creative power to solve problems, alter their self-concept, and to become increasingly self-directed -individuals perceive their experiences as reality, and they know their reality better than anyone else -individuals do not need to be directed, controlled, exhorted, or manipulated in order to spur them toward actualization -a humans actualization tendency is realized only under certain conditions -people must be involved in a relationship with a partner who is: -congruent (authentic) -empathic -demonstrate unconditional positive regard -rogers emphasized that having a partner who possess this three (3) qualities do not cause people to move toward constructive personal change -permits them to actualize their innate tendency toward self fulfillment

growth

-rogers contended that whenever congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathy are present in a relationship, psychological will invariably occur -he regarded these three (3) conditions as both necessary and sufficient conditions for becoming a fully functioning or self-actualizing person -only humans have a concept of self and a potential for self actualization

8. Self-actualization 8a. according to rogers, infants begin to develop a vague concept of self when a portion of their experience becomes personalized and differentiated in awareness -“I” or “me” experiences -infants gradually become aware of their own identity -they begin to evaluate experiences as positive or negative, using as a criterion the actualizing tendency -once infants establish a rudimentary self structure, their tendency to actualize the self begins to evolve 8b. a subset of the actualization tendency and is therefore not synonymous 8c. actualization tendency refers to organismic experiences of the individual -refers to the whole person: conscious and unconscious, physiological and cognitive 8d. is the tendency to actualize the self as perceived in awareness 8e. when the organism and the perceived self are in harmony, the two actualization tendencies are nearly identical 8f. when people’s organismic experiences however are not in harmony with their view of self, a discrepancy exist between the actualization tendency and the selfactualization tendency 8g. develops after people evolve a self system and refers to the tendency to move toward becoming a fully functioning person 9. two (2) self subsystem: -self concept -ideal self 10. Self concept 10a. includes all those aspects of one’s being and one’s experiences that are perceived in awareness (not always accurate) by the individual

10b. not identical with the organismic self -portions of the organismic self may be beyond a person’s awareness or simply not owned by that person -example: -the stomach is part of the organismic self, but unless is malfunctions and causes concern, it is not likely to be a part of one’s self concept

self-

-people can disown certain aspects of their selves, such as experiences of dishonesty, when such experiences are not consistent with their concept

10c. once people form their self-concept, they find change and significant learnings quite difficult 10d. experiences that are inconsistent with their self-concept usually either denied or accepted only in distorted forms 10e. an established self does not make change impossible, merely difficult 10f. change most readily occurs in an atmosphere of acceptance by others 10g. his allows a person to reduce anxiety and threat 10h. takes ownership of previously rejected experiences 11. Ideal Self 11a. one’s view of self as one wishes to be 11b. contains all those attributes, usually positive, that people aspire to possess 11c. a wide gap between the ideal self and the self-concept indicates incongruence and an unhealthy personality 11d. psychologically unhealthy individuals perceive little discrepancy between their self concept and what they ideally would like to be 12. Awareness 12a. without this, the self-concept and the ideal self would not exist 12b. the symbolic representation of some portion of our experiences

12c. used the term synonymously with both consciousness and symbolization 13. Levels of Awareness 13a. Three (3) levels of awareness: -ignored or denied -accurately symbolized -distorted 13b. ignored or denied -some events are experienced below the threshold of awareness and are either ignored or denied -ignored experiences -can be illustrated by a woman walking down the busy streets and does not attend to all stimuli in the surrounding and thus many remain ignored -sight and sound -denied experiences -a mother who never wanted children but of guilt she becomes overly solicitous to them -her anger and resentment towards her children may be hidden to her for years, never reaching consciousness but yet remaining a part of her experience and coloring her conscious behavior toward them 13c. Accurately symbolized -freely admitted to the self-structure -experiences are both nonthreatening and consistent with the existing self concept -example: -if a pianist who is has full confidence in his piano playing ability is told by a friend that his playing is excellent, he may here these words,

accurately symbolize them, and freely admit them to hiss elf concept 13d. Distorted -experiences that are perceived in a distorted form -when our experience is not consistent with our view of self, we reshape or distort them so that it can be assimilated into our existing self concept -example: -if a gifted pianist were to be told by his distrusted competitor that his playing is excellent, he might react differently than he did with his friend -he may hear the remarks but distort their meaning because he feels threatened -the experience is inaccurately symbolized in awareness and therefore can be distorted so that they can conform to an existing self concept 14. Denial of Positive Experience 14a. not only the negative or derogatory experiences that are distorted or denied to awareness 14b. example -not accepting a compliment 14c. compliments, even those genuinely dispensed, seldom have a positive influence on the self concept of the recipient 14d. a compliment from another also implies the right of that person to criticize or condemn, and thus the compliment carried an implied threat 15. Becoming a person 15a. an individual must make contact, positive or negative, with another person -this contact is the minimum experience necessary for becoming a person -in order to survive, an infant must experience some contact from a parent or other caregiver

negative

15b. as children (or adults) become aware that another person has some measure of regard for them, they begin to value a positive regard and devalue a regard 15c. positive regard -a person develops a need to be loved, liked or accepted by another person

partially

-if we perceive that others, especially our significant other, care for, prize, or value us, then our need to receive positive regard is at least satisfied 15d. positive self-regard -the experience of prizing or valuing one’s self -rogers believed that receiving positive regard from others is necessary for a positive self-regard -once the positive self-regard is established, it becomes independent of the continual need to be loved -similar to maslow’s notion that we must satisfy our love and belongingness before self esteem can become active -once we begin to feel confident and worthy, we no longer require a replenishing supply of love and approval from others -the source of positive self-regard lies in the positive regard we receive from others -once established, it is autonomous and self perpuating -rogers stated that: