1. Personality Psychology
Carl Rogers

2. History
Born: January 8, 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.
Died: February 4, 1987.
Career and Family: Began education as an agriculture major, then switched to religion. Married Helen Elliot against his parents’ wishes, began attending a liberal theological Seminary.   While there, he switched to the clinical psychology program of Columbia University, and received his Ph.D. in 1931. 
In 1951 he published his major work on Person (Client) – Centered Therapy.

3. Concepts Actualizing Tendency Organismic Valuing “Force of Life”
Built-in, biological motivation to reach potential
Organismic Valuing
Organisms know what is good for them

4. Concepts Positive Regard Conditional vs. Unconditional
Instinctively valued
Love, affection, attention, nurturance
Conditional vs. Unconditional
Individuals set criteria on their acceptance of another person
Being valued for oneself unconditionally

5. Concepts The child has two basic needs:
Positive regard from other people and
Self-worth
Self worth begins in childhood as the child interacts with the family.
It continues as the child gets older through interactions with others.

6. Self Real Self Ideal Self Founded in the actualizing tendency
It is the “you” that, if all goes well, you will become.
Ideal Self
What we think we should become
Comes from conditional positive regard, being out of sync with our organismic valuing.

7. Self
Incongruence
Congruence
Ideal
Self
Real

8. Incongruity Incongruity Neurosis
The gap between the real self and the ideal self.
It is the “you” that, if all goes well, you will become.
Neurosis
Being incongruent is the basis of Neurosis.

9. Qualities of a Therapist (or a teacher)
Rogers felt that a therapist, in order to be effective, must have three very special qualities:
Congruence -- genuineness, honesty with the client
Empathy -- the ability to feel what the client feels
Respect -- acceptance, unconditional positive regard towards the client