1. Person-Centered Therapy
Carl Rogers

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

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

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

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

6. Human Nature: Main Concepts
Self-Concept/Self-Regard
Learned through the perceptions of regard and acceptance from others
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

7. Psychopathology
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)
To resolve the conflict, typically we distort or block the experiences from within

8. Anxiety
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)

9. Goal of Therapy
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
Become more open to experience
Achieve self-trust
Develop an internal source of evaluation
Be willing to continue growing

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

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

12. Person Centered Therapy
Emphasizes:
Therapy as a journey shared by two fallible people
The person’s innate striving for self-actualization
The personal characteristics of the therapist and the quality of the 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

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

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

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

16. Stage of Therapy Process Pre-Contemplation Contemplation Preparation
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

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

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