¶ … Carl Rogers in interesting in that it provides the reader with insight into his thinking. Personally, what I find most interesting about Rogers' thinking is the fact that he focuses his theories on the person-centered approach, rather than on the theoretical approach to therapy. In this, he departs from other theorists of his time, as well as those who preceded him.
What struck me most when beginning to read the paper is Rogers' view of humanity as inherently positive and rational in orientation. I found it hard to believe that a theorist who has studied humanity for years could possibly come to such a conclusion. To me, Freud's assessment of humanity as essentially negative and destructive appeared much closer to the truth, if today's newspapers are to be believed.
Upon reading further, however, the explanation of the reasons behind Rogers' basic theories began to make more sense, as well as to give me some hope for humanity. The forces of socialization, according to Rogers, is what creates a discrepancy between the self and the drive towards actualization. At the core of the discrepancy is conditional positive self-regard. The conditions created for positive self-regard is often what creates the lack of adjustment and misbehavior so often found in the world today. According to Rogers, therapy can remove these conditions and move humanity closer towards the self-actualization that is the basic drive in all living organisms.
I agree with the reading that Rogers' theories incorporates some fundamental weaknesses, one of which is the fact that he distinguishes only between two extremes. In studying humanity, nothing can be viewed in such simple terms. However, I also agree with the point that Rogers has made an important contribution to psychology, especially during these times, when the social consciousness is moving towards a more positive view of the world and the selves functioning within the world.
Carl Rogers is among the small group of enlightened, visionary individuals that stand as giants in the field of psychology. Due to the theories that Rogers developed not only in psychology but in theories of education, he is considered, as Constance Holden writes, "…one of the grand old men of American psychology and a leading figure in the postwar development of humanistic psychology" (Holden, 1997, p. 31). This paper reviews his
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow Treatment Approach for Outpatient Therapy Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow treatment approach for out-patient therapy. The study of human psychology is important in understanding personality of individuals. One can study personality of individuals, but there is no scientific method of studying personality of the whole humanity. Human are different from person to person and vey unique to some degree. This paper prompts a thesis, and it digs
Genuineness, empathy, and respect are at the heart of Rogers' process of mirroring. Instead of directing or challenging the client, a Rogerian therapist validates the client's feelings and expressions. For example, if the client says 'I am worthless,' unlike a cognitive behaviorist who might ask why, or probe the false and extreme nature of the statement, a Rogerian might simply say, 'you feel as if you have no worth
He "believed that in order for a client/therapist relationship to develop the therapist must embody these characteristics unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence" (Rothmans, from Kirschenbaum, 2004). These elements are characteristic nowadays of therapeutic relationship in all therapeutic approaches, and their efficiency in therapy was proved by research. Rogers' theories are best known today as "humanistic psychology." Humanism appears as 'Third Force' of therapy views, along with the psychoanalytic
Carl Rogers Theory of Personality Introduction to the Personality Theory of Carl Rogers Twentieth Century psychologists Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was a founder of the Humanistic approach to human psychology (Gerrig & Zimbardo, 2008). His theories were derivative of earlier phenomenological theorists and were predicated largely on the proposition that the natural state of every individual is to seek continual, life-long psychological development. However, whereas other schools of psychology defined the process of
Person-Centered Therapy Today A sign on the restaurant wall where I lunched today reads, "What you call psychotic behavior ... we call company policy." A joke, obviously, but it set me thinking about differences in the world today compared to the 1950s when Carl Rogers was developing person-centered therapy. Take a small thing like "multi-tasking," for example. In the 1950s a person who drove down an expressway at 70+ miles
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