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[Excerpt from page 8 from book becoming a Person by Carl Rogers, 1961]
“I suppose it is unnecessary to add that this seminar was deeply satisfying and clarifying. I feel that
it moved me a long way toward a philosophy of life which was my own. The majority of the members
of that group, in thinking their way through the questions they had raised, thought themselves right
Out of religious work. I was one. I felt that questions as to the meaning of life, and the possibility of
the constructive improvement of life for individuals, would probably always interest me, but I could
not work in a field where I would be required to believe in some specified religious doctrine. My
beliefs had already changed tremendously, and might continue to change. It seemed to me it would
be a horrible thing to have to profess a set of beliefs, in order to remain in one's profession. I wanted
to find a field in which I could be sure my freedom of thought would not be limited.”
Carl Rogers:
Oh, so this is was where it all began, my Person Centered Therapy… somewhere between the 1940’s
and 1950’s.
Carl Rogers:
These six conditions were necessary and sufficient for therapeutic personality change to occur—
conditions that could be achieved regardless of the therapist’s theoretical orientation and of the
client’s diagnosis:
1. Two persons are in psychological contact.
2. The first, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or
anxious.
3. The second person, whom we shall term the therapist, is congruent or integrated in the
relationship.
4. The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client.
5. The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the client’s internal frame of
reference and endeavors to communicate this experience to the client.
6. The communication to the client of the therapist’s empathic understanding and unconditional
positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved.
I wanted a non‐directive counseling approach that requires the client to take an active role their
treatment with the therapist. Out of these 6 conditions my three basic components for PC were born:
1. Congruence refers to the therapist being real, authentic, and genuine with their clients. It’s
called congruence because their inner experience and outward expression match. In being
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authentic, the therapist shows they are trustworthy, which helps in building a good
therapeutic relationship with the client. It also serves as a model for clients, encouraging
them to be their true selves, expressing their thoughts and feelings, without any sort of false
front.
2. Unconditional positive regard means the therapist genuinely cares for their clients and
does not evaluate or judge their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors as good or bad. Each client is
accepted and valued for who they are, as they are.
3. Empathetic understanding means that the therapist understands their client’s experience
and feelings in an accurate and compassionate way. The therapist recognizes that each
client’s experience is subjective and therefore strives to see things from the client’s unique
perspective. An important part of accurate empathic understanding is for the therapist to
convey that they “get it” by reflecting the client’s experience back to them. This encourages
clients to become more reflective with themselves, which allows for greater understanding of
themselves.
So, THIS was how I came about the Person Centered Theory. Hmm. I am quite brilliant after all! Let’s
hope that this humanistic approach is widely used in therapeutic sessions now!
“THE CURIOUS PARADOX IS THAT, WHEN I ACCEPT MYSELF AS I AM, THEN I CAN CHANGE”
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