Carl Rogers's client-centered theory and therapeutic approach

Client Centered Theory

John S.)

CLIENT CENTERED THEORY as MY THERAPY

There are a variety of personal counseling theories, but I find the most effective to be Carl Roger's client centered theory. Developed after years of clinical practice and analysis, this theory treats all clients as human. As a human, they are to move forward and be positive, and the therapist must realize this desire for self-actualization. Self-actualization is the notion that a person wants to be who they think they are. To accomplish such goals, a therapist must be genuine and truly want to help the individual receiving therapy. The client must not feel threatened in any form. The therapist must guide the client towards the realization. This theory offers functional approaches to help a client, while also maintaining some freedom of individuality in dealing with a client. It is important, because people are evolutionary organisms and each is unique, and as a humanist theory, the client centered theory understands this.

DISCUSSION

Carl Roger's developed his theory in the 1940s and 1950s based upon clinical work. A psychotherapist, but different than Freud, Roger's experience with clients has helped his theory evolve over the years to treat his patients as more human (Rogers, 1961). He does not so much want to fix them, but help them as people. This has made Rogers one of the founding therapists of the humanist notion, one of which is that human beings cannot be components, but rather must be treated as self-aware individuals who try to act according to their own system of meaning (Bugental, 1964). I agree with these notions, that in order to help someone people must be treated as humans and each client's individuality must be recognized. People and their problems cannot be categorized before treatment; rather one's problems must be brought forth during therapy. The only consistent factor is that each human is an individual, and one that is positive. If an individual is not positive it is because the positivist has been repressed in some form and the therapist must help to bring out the best in the individual.

To effectively treat a person, it must be assumed that the "motivation for such development or growth.... is inherent in the organism" (Rogers, 1961, p.60). People are constantly seeking for their betterment in all aspects of life, whether it is professionally, academically, personally, or any other important aspect in life. This is known as the actualizing theory, in that every living organism, although it may at times be suppressed, has desire to achieve fulfillment (Rogers, 1959). Thus, when a client seeks therapy, it should be understood that the client wants to better him or herself. The term "self" is also important to Rogers, as to Rogers the self is what a person becomes when he or she becomes different and unique from everyone else (Rogers, 1959). Combined, according to the theory, is that the self-actualization of a person in which he or she becomes themselves through personal development (Rogers, 1959). The closer a person's view of themselves becomes to what they actually are, or think that they are, is the goal of therapy and the process of actualization (Bozarth & Brodley, 1991). It is up to the therapist to help realize self-actualization in the client, and to do this the therapist must be trying, with empathy, to help the individual.

Roger's clinical view of therapy is that the therapist should be trying to help the subject in some form. He wrote that his role as a therapist should be one in which "at least one of the parties has the intent of promoting the growth, development, maturity, improved functioning, improved coping with life of the other" (Rogers, 1961, p. 31-32). To Rogers, if a client is engaged in an impersonal level of therapy he or she will find all words and behavior threatening (Rogers, 1951). This means, that to properly treat a client, there must be a level of understanding in which a person is not attacked, but treated fairly as another person. He theorizes that the client, in the relationship between therapist and client, must perceive for him or herself for "what he really is, a separate individual, operating in terms of his own meanings" (Rogers, 1951, p. 521). To accomplish this, the therapist must act towards the client in a way that will promote the positive nature of humans.

This practice of treating each person as an individual means that the therapist must respond to each and every individual based on the client's needs (Pollack, 1993). This does not mean, however, that each client should be treated different. In each case of therapy, self-actualization is the goal, and there are different methods and different levels necessary to achieve this (Bozarth & Brodley, 1991). But there are three key factors which the therapist should use to and they are: "congruency (or genuineness), unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding of the client's internal frame of reference" (Bozarth & Brodley, 1991). Already discussed, congruency is important because a client will notice if a therapist is not genuine. Positive regard is the notion that the client shall not be judged by the therapist, as humans are positive, and thus the therapist should be unconditional in the positive regard of the client. Lastly, the therapist must try to understand the emotions of the client, and help to bring forth the reasons those emotions exist. In the end, this means according to Rogers that the client is moved "forward in a constructive direction without intervening and assuming therapeutic expertise" (Bozarth & Brodley, 1991). In other words, the therapist should reflect and maintain a positive attitude, and let the client move towards self-actualization. The therapist is responsible to treat each person as an individual within these guidelines in order to help the client.

CLINICAL EXAMPLES

While Rogers based his understanding of client centered theory on hours of immersion in therapy as well as documented empirical evidence, some created scenarios can help to illustrate the key points as well as the effectiveness of a client centered theory.

Example 1:

Client: I am worried about doing something different, something that could be good for me because I am scared of what could happen.

Therapist: I understand where you are coming from, this is puzzling, it seems that you have become sensitized to the way people respond to your actions.

Client: Yes I think so. I hold back something in all my relationships. I was so worried of being good as a child that I

Therapist: I get the feeling you are not sure how you are holding back, but that you must want people to like all the things you do, so you are hesitant to be yourself because of fear of disapproval.

Analysis: This abbreviated example, based on actual therapy evaluated by Carl Rogers shows some important aspects of client centered theory (Rogers, 1951, p. 372-373). First, there are no barriers in the discussion, meaning the client does not have to hold back. Secondly, the therapist is treating the client as an individual and encouraging open dialogue with no attacks or signs of disapproval. Finally, the client who is unable to express him or herself because of internal fears, is understanding his or her reasons for such problems through open dialogue and is gaining more acceptance of him or herself (Rogers, 1951). This is applicable to both individual and group therapy (Rogers, 1951). Furthermore, the therapist is reflecting in a genuine manner on the client's thoughts, and not casting judgment.

Example 2:

Client: I hate my mother! She is an awful woman! She is horrible to me and I cannot stand her!

Therapist: I understand you have a dislike for your mother, we all do, do you know you dislike her?

Client: She bosses me around, she tells me what to do, and she was mean to me as a child! She can't control me but she thinks she can!

Therapist: I see, I am sorry to hear that. But did she mean well sometimes? Or is she always so rude towards you?

Analysis: This example illustrates a long process in a short amount of space, but it helps to point out some aspects of Roger's theory. According to Rogers, such dialogue can be observed with nearly every client as generalizations are broken down to acute experiences (Rogers, 1951). Such breakthroughs in the origins of the problem rely on a patient's freedom to fully express the self while the therapist provides guidance and acceptance (Rogers, 1951). The therapist guides the client as the client comes to understand the reasons for his or her thoughts.

Example 3:

Client: I feel like I can't talk to you, that you have judged me guilty. This feeling sticks with me, I don't know what to do, but I don't like you.

Therapist: So you think I have put you up for trial and judged guilty?

Client: Yes, I can't tell you anything because you don't have any respect for me.

Therapist: Is it me that has no respect for you?

Client: Well maybe I have no respect for myself, or my actions, and I feel I have to be disrespected by you somehow.

Analysis: This show the idea of transference in which a client, for whatever reason, assumes that the therapist is not treating him or her properly and has developed a sort of hatred or dislike for the therapist (Rogers, 1951). It is up to the therapist to overcome these hindrances to therapy by using the client centered theory. That is, the therapist must never show judgment, and must try to help the client to realize that his or her ideals are based on notions within him or her self, and are not based on real evidence.

ANALYSIS believe Carl Roger's theory on client centered therapy is the most effective form, as it recognizes strengths and weaknesses within the treatment of a patient. Rogers himself, admits that "we do not really know what is the essential process of therapy," however a therapist cannot go wrong by trying to help someone, by being genuine, and by treating the patient as a positive and rational individual (Rogers, 1951, p. 131). The use of client centered therapy can help for the acceptance of self, and thus for the positive development of an individual (Rogers, 1951). Therapy is not a physical science, but a human science, and Roger's theory reflects that. A therapist, I believe, should be open and honest with the client, but maintain a sense of friendship. That way, the patient can be helped to make progress, to realize his or her own self, because in reality that is what he or she wants- progress. It may be instinctive for a person to feel attacked or become defensive when realizing their problems and it is up to the therapist to alleviate these fears to the greatest extent possible. Carl Rogers, through extensive research and clinical practice over many years, has helped to bring the human nature of therapy to the forefront of psychoanalysis, and I think this is for the better.

CONCLUSION

Carl Roger's client centered theory is humanist and based on assumptions that all organisms, including humans, by their very nature as evolutionary beings, try to realize their potential. Therefore, people go to therapy in order to improve and realize their self-identity. It is up to the therapist to guide them, and a therapist must be empathetic to their situation to have positive effects on the individual through the therapy. Therapists can reflect on a client's words out loud, but they must be genuine reflections. If not genuine, it will be noticed, and therapy will be ineffective. Ultimately, this is the most important factor to successful therapy within the client centered humanist approach to therapy.