Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian)
Introduction
Person-centered therapy is a
form of psychotherapy that gets the client fully involved with his or her
treatment process as the therapist helps in a more indirect way. Other names
for this psychotherapy include non-directive, client-centered, or Rogerian therapy.
This form of psychotherapy was developed by an American psychologist by the
name of Carl Rogers in the 1930s and 1940s, hence the Rogerian title. In the
1960s, Rogerian therapy started to become associated with the human potential
movement of the early 1900s. This movement believes in self-actualization, or
the idea that we as humans strive to grow to our fullest potential and move
forward in a positive manner, whereas traditional psychological theories held
the belief that we as humans are inherently evil. This form of psychotherapy
keeps the belief of self-actualization in mind.
Goals of Rogerian Therapy
Rogerian Therapy seeks to
decrease the client’s guilt, insecurities, defensiveness, and even
close-mindedness by allowing them to think about life in new ways, thus warming
up to different levels of experience. The goal is to let the client tell his or
her story without the therapist asking questions, agreeing or disagreeing,
offering reassurance or advice, pointing out contradictions, or diagnosing the
client. Rogerian Therapy tends to increase the client’s self-esteem, learning
abilities from making mistakes, trust in themselves, positive relationships,
and idea of who they are. Clients should be able to express and experience
their emotions better in real time as well.
When is Rogerian Therapy Used?
Originally having been
developed in a clinic for children (today this is called “play therapy”),
Rogerian Therapy can be used on anyone regardless of age. However, this form of
therapy has proven to be more ineffective to deaf and uneducated patients. It
also may not work for those who suffer from a mental disorder that distorts
perception of reality. Those who find talking about themselves to be difficult
will also have a disadvantage with this form of psychotherapy. Rogerian Thrapy
has the potential to be a group or family therapy as well as individual.
Disorders that have been treated with this form of therapy include interpersonal
relationship issues, alcoholism, anxiety, physical or sexual abuse, cognitive
dysfunction, low self-esteem depression, general unhappiness with life, and
personality disorders.
How Rogerian Therapy Works
There is no one structure
for this form of therapy due to the fact that the client is going it on their
own as the therapist listens, respects, and understands while keeping a form of
transparency. They do not steer the client in any particular direction, but
instead make themselves known and open to the client. There are three attitudes
that the therapist should uphold: congruence, unconditional positive regard,
and empathy.
Congruence is when the
therapist remains open, relatable, and genuine towards the client instead of
playing a role where they are these things. This allows for better trust
between therapist and client.
Unconditional positive
regard occurs when the therapist completely accepts the client for who they are
without censorship regardless of said client’s particular actions or feelings.
The therapist is not there to give the client advice or judge them, but instead
to listen with an open ear.
Empathy is the most
important attitude involved in the therapy. The therapist must be able to
understand thoughts, behaviors, and feelings from the client’s perspective.
This form of therapy is
obviously very patient-focused. The patient controls what topics are discussed
during each session, what ways to go about uncovering solutions to their
problems, even how often the sessions occur, and when the sessions stop.
Sessions typically occur for an hour weekly.
The therapist often mirrors
the patient in order to gain a better understanding of his or her perspective.
By restating what has been said by the patient, the patient can clarify and
point out any misunderstandings made by the therapist as a means of reaching a
mutual level of understanding. Letting go of harmful behavior patterns should
be much easier to attain when defenses are let down and feelings are
confronted.
Criticisms of Rogerian Therapy
It has been said that this
form of therapy is lazy because this is something that therapists should
generally practice anyway on top of giving advice to the client. It has also
not been addressed if other factors about the therapist besides the three
listed above should matter when being paired up with particular clients.
Indeed, the principles involved with Rogerian Therapy are vague. The emphasis
of the client’s self-evaluation as a means of judging the therapy’s outcome and
the lack of diagnosis makes this form of therapy questionable.
References
Greenberg,
Leslie S., Jeanne C. Watson, and Germain Lietauer, eds. Handbook of Experiential Psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press, 1998.
Kensit, Denise A. "Rogerian Theory: A Critique of the Effectiveness of Pure Client-Centred Therapy." Counselling Psychology Quarterly 13, no. 4 (2000): 345-351.
Association for the Development of the Person-Centered Approach. <http://www.adpca.org>.
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