Carl Rogers's person-centered approach to therapeutic change and growth

¶ … Therapeutic Techniques

Person cantered therapy (Carl Rogers) and stages of change, and Adlerian Therapy Birth order

Person cantered therapy (Carl Rogers) and stages of change

Carl Rogers is the founder of the person-centered therapy. This therapy concerns how people or children adapt to change as they grow and develop in their tender ages. According to Carl Rogers, therapy was supposed to be warmer, tender, and more optimistic than as proposed by the psychodynamic theory and psychologists. Carl Rogers is for the notion that a therapist is supposed to take positives of nature in which a child grows and develops gradually. It does not make sense to have therapy that will tend to alter the personalized growth and developed phases of the child. Carl Rogers strongly believes that therapists should be warm, understanding, and genuine in order to have any impact in their client's behavioral growth and development. Within the notion of growth and development, it is necessary to give the client an opportunity to grow and alter his or her behavior without adding any other extrinsic affair (Rogers, 2003).

Through counseling and other tentative measures, therapists should understand the client and avoid disturbing a normalized development of behavioral facets. According to Carl Rogers, the client has within himself or herself many resources that will be of immense guidance when it comes to self-understanding, alteration of behavioral trends, attitudes, and directions. These resources within the client should need someone who understands in order to manage the client and tap the resources for any positive use. Psychological provisions are the only elements that can be provided to the client and not any other extra together with to what is innate.

Carl Rogers had negative or contrary perceptions as concerns the perceptions of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. He perceives that people behave because of the way they have taken a situation. Therefore, people are the best perceivers since no one can get to know how another person has perceived a certain situation. Out of practice, it is necessary to consider the theory and not the other way round. Carl Rogers knows that personal growth and development has been a significant influence to good behavior and habits in the society. Any extrinsic feature must just participate in influencing what is innate in people and not try to establish other new facets.

Carl Rogers has brought out the values inherent in the self-concept mechanisms of growth and development. According to Carl Rogers and his theory, it does not make any sense to have a different concept being introduced in a client by the therapists (Rogers, 1995). Therapists should have an innate understanding that seeks to establish a plan of management and development of the self-concept within the client. It is with an understanding of the client that therapists will be of any importance to him or her. Therapists should be listening, sharing, understanding, and helping to the development of the innate characteristics within a client in order to enable him or her grow and develop as expected. Carl Rogers has a complete understanding of the factors considered for production among clients. Therefore, the clients should be assisted as far as they are in need of any help. Otherwise, their normalized growth and development phases should not be altered by the therapist.

Adlerian Therapy Birth order

Alfred Adler is the pioneer of the birth order theory. According to Alfred Adler, the order and position of childbirths within a family is significant of their behaviors and personality development. Every step of birth is associated with a number of characteristics that will be part of the developing child. According to Alfred Adler, it is easy to relay the characteristics that are expected of a child after knowing their birth order and number in the family (Sharf, 2012).

Apart from the concept of child's birth, Alfred Adler was also concerned with a number of characteristics that were pertinent in the growth and development phases of a child. Alfred Adler was concerned with child's environment during and after birth. The environment of growth and development is sentimental to the general growth and development of the child. Moreover, Alfred Adler was concerned with the natural instincts associated with the birth order that molded behaviors.

According to Alfred Adler, the children are born in a number of classifications, most of which are concerned with development of their behaviors. For instance, a child can be born as a single or only one, first born, second born, middle born, and last born. When a child is born as the only one, he is likely to be self-centered and spoiled. Such children will develop while missing out a number of social skills learnt through interaction with other kids. Moreover, such children will be hard to make compromise based on the preferred chances or decisions (Jacobs, 2006).

According to Alfred Adler, all first-born children are good leaders. When they are born, they literally assume surrogate roles in the family. He or she will develop and be a leader who guides and protects other siblings in the family. When a child is born as a second, they develop to be independent and competitive. Such children compete and love to be independent of the older kids. When a child is born as a middle one, he or she is congenial and independent, but unlike the second born. They feel forgotten and easily resign from pursing decisions. Such a child is quick to adopt social skills and living with others in the family. Moreover, when a child is born as the last born, the whole family spoils him or her. He or she is never dethroned. They will be viewed as irresponsible and breakers of the rules and regulations within the family. Moreover, Alfred Adler perceives that such children are charming and adventurous.

How two concepts from the theories are dissimilar?

Character development and change

Adler and Rogers have a number of opinions and perceptions that are similar to each other. The similarity of the factors is noted when one studies the character of the client or the child and his or her change of behavior in the society. Adler has a perception and belief that character is developed in a child due to the influence of the innate characteristics and the environment. The aspect of the environment is what Adler proclaims as susceptible to interfering with the growth and development of a child. The environment and the influences of the surrounding are determining factors that are probable to cause an adoption of a given behavior in a child. Adler knows that the essence of the environment is influential to the overall growth and development of the child. Therefore, he advocates that with equitable protection of a child from the influences of the environment, he or she is likely to adopt a given behavior. Therefore, the environment is hugely influential and should be protected in order to influence on the wanted characteristics within a child. Behavior change is a factor of the environment.

On the other hand, Rogers has similar opinions and perceptions as concerns the environment and change of behavior in the client. According to Rogers, the environment is critical when it comes to the determination of the behavior of a child. A child or client has innate characteristics that are capable of molding him or her into a better person. Nonetheless, the influence of the environment through the therapist will determine how the client will be able to respond to the aspects of self-concepts. The essence of a therapist being warm, understanding, and compassionate, is to have the child respond appropriately to the influences of the environment. When a therapist behaves as expected, the environment will be favorable to let the child appreciate the call of innate facets of growth and development.

Change in behavior within a child is also sentimental to the influence of the environment. According to Rogers, a child should appreciate what he or she has been convened to be through his or her self-concepts. Nonetheless, the influences of the environment, like a therapist, will appear to thwart or promote the creation of a suitable situation for the client to develop according to his or her features of self-concepts.