Person-Centered Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy
Carl Rogers
– Fundamentalist upbringing
– Trained theology and clinical psychology
His therapy was a reaction to
directive therapies (e.g.,
psychoanalysis, behavior therapy)
Based on a philosophy of human
nature as an innate striving to better
oneself
Theory of Personality
Human beings are whole organisms
One primary drive – SELF
ACTUALIZATION
– Humans inherently strive to develop
optimal capacities to serve and maintain
the organism
Basic needs
Tension reduction
Relating to others
Cultural engagement
Theory of Personality
Organismic Valuing Process
– We naturally value those things that
help us actualize
Self-concept
– We differentiate experiences that are us
vs. those that belong to others
– Self-experiences form together to yield
a unified concept of self.
– Development of SC leads to need for
POSITIVE REGARD
Positive Regard to Conditions of
Worth
Need for PR, to be loved, prized,
valued, becomes the most potent in
developing person.
Parents and community place
CONDITIONS of WORTH on those
behaviors that lead to PR.
People’s SC then begins to mirror the
way people give out PR ----- Selfregard
Psychopathology
Related to degree of conditionality
– Experiences consistent with worth are allowed
in ones that aren’t are distorted
Distortion leads to INCONGRUENCE
– Discrepancy in Self vs. Experience
Leads person to be more “fractured” than
whole and distorts what people see as a
worthy avenue of actualization
Symptoms manifest as people attempt to
prevent threatening experiences coming
into awareness
Person-Centered Therapy
Therapy is a permissive, non-directive
climate
Phenomenological approach: seeing and
understanding others from their reference,
perception
Therapist: creates a growth promoting
environment, non directive, not the
expert, non controlling, caring, accepting,
genuine.
Client: remove obstacles that are
blocking growth
Person-Centered Therapy
GOALS OF THERAPY
Work through distortions that create
incongruence
Lessen the impact of conditions of worth
Become more “here and now”
Become more actualized
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Open to experiences
Trust themselves
Realistic Self-evaluation
Continue growing
Therapeutic Relationship
Rogers speaks of six conditions that comprise the
TR
– Relationship
– Vulnerability
Motivates and maintains the relationship
– Genuineness
Congruence/No deception of client or self
– Unconditional Positive Regard
Caring – reduces conditions of worth
– Accurate Empathy
Perceive and reflect the clients inner world and perceptions
Bracket our own feelings and perceptions
– Perception of Genuineness
Client has to see all these things in the therapist
Change Processes
Consciousness raising
– Happens through reflection,
organization and attention allocation
toward emotional experience
Surrogate information processes
Cartharsis
– Positive regard leads to safety
– Therapist “follows the affect.”
Therapeutic Content
Intrapersonal
– Distortion or denial of experiences
– Conflict between ideal and real self
Fulfillment
– Self-actualization
Person-Centered Therapy
STRENGTHS
Empathy
Phenomenological approach
Reflection
Increase self-understanding
Genuine
Unconditional positive regard and
acceptance
Person-Centered Therapy
WEAKNESSES
Client is not challenged
Too simplistic
No interventions/techniques
Undirected
Not all clients are able to find their own
answers
Not much research on theory and practice
Theory has not evolved much since the
1960’s
Motivational Interviewing
Client centered and directive
Resolve ambivalence
Four principles
– Express empathy
– Roll w/resistance
– Develop discrepancy
– Support self-efficacy
MI: Basic Strategies
Open questions
Affirmation
Reflections
– Parrot
– Rephrase
– Meaning
– Feeling
Summary
MI: Processes of Change
Same as Rogers
– Consciousness raising
– Catharsis
Selective reinforcement of CHANGE Talk
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Desire
Ability
Reasons
Need
Commitment
Commitment Language Pattern A in
Drug Abuse Treatment Session
Commitment to Abstinence
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
-1
-2
Deciles of MI Session
8
9
10
Outcomes for Pattern A Group
% Days Target Drug Use
100
80
60
40
20
0
Intake
3 Months
6 Months
9 Months
12 Months
Commitment Language Pattern B
Commitment to Abstinence
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
-1
-2
Deciles of MI Session
Amrhein et al., Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology 2003 71:862-878
Outcomes for Pattern B Group
% Days Target Drug Use
100
80
60
40
20
0
Intake
3 Months
6 Months
9 Months
12 Months