Literature Overview of the Carl Roger’s Person-Centered Theory
Carl Rogers has been the leading figure in the development of phenomenological therapy. Roger’s controversial volume, Counseling and psychotherapy appeared in 1942 position became known as “non-directive” and was considered as radical because it was counter to the psychoanalytic and directive methods of therapy that dominated American psychotherapy during 1930s. Rogers emphasized the client’s creative responsibility in enhancing themselves toward self-actualization. Rogers himself is a good example of creative person at work which he continued to expand and revise his theory. He as applied his work to diverse clinical group and settings include schools system, hospital, management, family therapy, group therapy, and foreign relations (Rogers, 1970; 1977; 1980; 1983).
Roger’s Person-Centered approach to counseling emphasized the important dimension of “self”. The self concept is the person’s picture of the self and self-evaluation of this picture of this picture. The self concepts defined as the “individual dynamic organization of concept, values, goals, and ideals which he should behave” (Shostorm and Brammer, 1952, page 8). Various terms such as “concept of self”, “self-images”, and “self-structures” are used to describe this personality construct. The main sources of these personal, evaluations are direct experience and the values and concept of parent, which are incorporated as if directly experienced.
The concept of self is a learned attribute, a progressive concept staring from birth and differentiating steadily through childhood and adolescence like an unfolding spiral. This concept been monitored by doing a sample on two-year old child when she or he begin to realize that she or he has an individuality of his or her own with pressing and distinctive needs and powers. This growing awareness of himself or herself as a unique person is his