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HistoryofSocialWork,details

1951CarlRogers
Theimportanceofempathy

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CarlRogers(19021987)isgenerallyregardedasresponsiblefortheearliestformsofhumanisticpsychologyand
personcentredtherapy.ThekeyprincipleoftheRogerianapproachisessentiallyverysimple:takepeoples
accountsseriouslybecausetheyarethebasisforhelpingpeopletoachieveselfactualisationbyfindingtheirtrue
identityasafullyfunctioningindividual.Rogerswasoneofthefirstpsychologiststotalkaboutclientsratherthan
patientsandhelaidthefoundationforawidevarietyofnondirectivetechniques,basedonreflectivelistening,
knownasmirroring.
Humanisticpsychology,developedbyleadingthinkerssuchasAbrahamMaslowandRonaldLaing,hashada
substantialimpactonmodelsofpsychotherapy,childdevelopmentandpedagogy.Ithaslefttracesinalmostall
kindsofverbaltherapyandchildrearingpractices,includingthroughtheinfluentialwritingsofBenjaminSpock.
TogetherwithMaslow`swork,Rogersideashavebecomethebuildingblocksforthesocalledgoodlifeofthe
humandevelopmentmovement.
Rogersviewonhumandevelopmentanticipatedthecounterculturalandradicalpoliticalmovementsofthesixties
andseventies,whenauthoritiesallacrosstheWesternworldwerechallengedbycitizensassertingtheirown
individualityandclaimingtheirrightsascitizens.ThisisthecontextinwhichCarlRogersthinkingbecamevery
popular.Indeed,in1974hiscolleagueAbrahamMaslowlabelledhisworkasrevolutionary.Theeuphoricoptimism
associatedwithRogersapproachlasteduntiltheendoftheseventies,whentheNorthAmericanculturalhistorian
ChristopherLaschsetoutsomeofthedisadvantagesoftoomuchemphasisonpersonalgrowthandwhatwas
termedmeism.InhisbookThecultureofnarcissism(1979),Laschcriticisedhumanisticpsychologyas
encouragingpeopletoglorifythemselvesattheexpenseofconcernandkindnessforothers.Intheconservative
NewRepublicjournal,heoncearguedthat"asthefoundingfatherofhumanisticpsychology,thehumanpotential
movement,andtheencountergroup,CarlRogershasalottoanswerfor".
Rogershadformulatedhisthinkinglongbeforethesixtiesandseventies.Hedevelopedthecoreideasand
applicationsafterhefinishedhistraininginpsychologyandstartedworkingwithchildren.Hedistancedhiswork
fromtraditionalpsychoanalysisandstartedtodevisehisownformsoftherapy.Becomingaprofessorin1940
allowedhimtousehisextensiveexperienceasatherapisttodeveloptheoriesaboutwhatcametobeknownas
personcentredhumanisticpractice.Hepublishedseveralbooksonthesubject,ofwhichClientCenteredTherapy,
itscurrentpractice,implicationsandtheory(1951)andPsychotherapyandPersonalityChange(1954)canbe
consideredthemostimportant.
ThestartingpointforCarlRogerswasthatpeopleexperiencetheirlivesasasubjectiverealityanddevelopasense
ofselfthroughprocessesofselfevaluation,feedbackandreflection.Successfulselfrealisationisachieved
throughthegradualestablishmentofacoherentselfimageoridentity.Rogersmaintainedthatindividualshavea
strongneedforpositivefeedback,especiallyduringyouth,butalsoduringlaterstagesinlife.Forapersonto
developasafullyfunctioningindividual,thisfeedbackfromsignificantothersmustbebasedonwhathecalled
unconditionalpositiveregard,otherwisetheymaysetupdefencemechanismsandharmful,evenpathological,
personalitystrategies.
Ifthishappens,personcentredtherapymayofferthesolutionbutforthistobeeffective,Rogersarguedthatthe
therapistmustadoptthreecoreprinciples.Theyshouldencouragetheclienttoachievecongruencebetweentheir
actualandidealselvesbydemonstratingunconditionalpositiveregardandempathyfortheirsituationandfeelings.
ThistextwaswrittenbyJanSteyaert,basedontheDutchversionbyJosvanderLans
Dateoffirstpublication:122010
Dateoflatestrevision:042013

Links
ShortbiographyofCarlRogers
Studytasks
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