Carl Rogers: The Person-Centered Approach to Therapy

Rodger's therapeutic philosophy is based around what he calls the "actualizing tendency" present within every human being, in fact, within every organism (Boeree 2006). This is every sentient being's inherent drive to develop its potential to the fullest. The actualizing tendency is not merely confined to the basic needs of survival; it is a "force of life" or the determination to make one's life the best it can be (Boeree 2006). Human society often interferes with this force of life by establishing conditions of worth, or making social acceptance and love dependant on a series of carrots and sticks. Society bends the human character to behaving in a certain manner, 'on condition.' To obtain conditional positive regard people hide their real desires to conform to a society that may or may not truly have the individual's best interests at heart.

Over time, this "conditioning" leads people to have conditional positive self-regard. In other words, we come only like ourselves when others like us (Boeree 2006).

To help his clients get in touch with their true desires, Rogers adopted a method of therapy where the client's needs and desires drove the therapeutic process, not the therapist's outside direction. Genuineness, empathy, and respect are at the heart of Rogers' process of mirroring. Instead of directing or challenging the client, a Rogerian therapist validates the client's feelings and expressions. For example, if the client says 'I am worthless,' unlike a cognitive behaviorist who might ask why, or probe the false and extreme nature of the statement, a Rogerian might simply say, 'you feel as if you have no worth at all?' To encourage the client to explore the statement. Rogerian therapy has been criticized for being overly circular, for taking longer than most people can afford to spend upon therapy, and not being directive enough. However, Rogerians contend that "If independence (autonomy, freedom with responsibility) is what you are helping a client to achieve, then they will not achieve it if they remain dependent on you, the therapist. They need to try their insights on their own, in real life beyond the therapist's office! An authoritarian approach to therapy may seem to work marvelously at first, but ultimately it only creates a dependent person" (Boeree 2006)

Works Cited

Boeree, C. George. (2006). Carl Rogers. Personality Theories. Retrieved March 16, 2009 at http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/rogers.html