Rogerian Counselling

Introduction

This essay asks us to examine the origins and influences which developed into Carl Rogers of Person-Centred Therapy (PCT) or Rogerian Counselling. We need to understand the theoretical constructs of this therapy and the underlying philosophical influences. We are asked to discuss how Rogers responds to the psychological disorders and how this approach might be helpful in treating these disorders. We need to consider the strengths and weaknesses of this type of therapy.

Carl Rogers was a humanistic psychologist who developed Person-Centred Therapy believing that people continually strive ‘to become a person’. This type of therapy moved away from the traditional approach where the therapist was the expert and instead moved
Conditions of worth refer to judgemental and critical messages from important people that influence the way the individual acts and reacts in certain situations. When an individual has conditions of worth imposed on them their self-image is often low. (Seligman, 2006).
The fully functioning person
The fully functioning person is an individual who has “ideal emotional health” (Seligman, 2006). Generally, the fully functioning person will be open to experience, lives with a sense of meaning and purpose, and trusts in self and others. One of the main goals of person-centred therapy is to work towards becoming “fully functioning”.
Phenomenological perspective
The phenomenological approach refers to the unique perception by each individual of his or her own world. The individual experiences and perceives their own world and reacts in an individual way. Person-centred therapy focuses on the individual’s own experience informing how treatment will work.
Personality
An individual who is self-actualised will be more open to experience and less defensive, will learn to live in the moment, will trust own decision-making skills, will have more life choices and be more creative.
Fundamental propositions

Carl Rogers’ work promoting the change process in therapy is based on the following fundamental propositions:

• The underpinning or ‘core’ of human personality is constructive and forward-moving
• Humans instinctively gravitate toward achieving their full potential (self-actualisation)
• The movement towards self-actualisation includes the organisms capacity for self-healing
• If the therapist can create the right conditions, then the self-fulfilment and self-healing process can flourish
• The right conditions are primarily when there is a complete absence of threat to the individual
• The best vantage from which to understand another person’s behaviour is from their subjective viewpoint
• People respond better if they experience the therapist as a genuine/real person rather than in the role of expert

Core conditions

In 1957 Rogers detailed six conditions or core concepts that are necessary for successful