Evaluation Of Rogers Contribution To Social Care: ‘Person Centred Therapy’ Assessment Answer

Answer :

Person centered therapy by Carl Roger

Introduction 

Carl Rogers developed person centered therapy in the 1940s. The therapy model diverges from the traditional model as the model can empower and motivate the client in the therapeutic process by adopting the empathetic and nondirective approach. Rogers’s beliefs that human being has the capacity to fulfill their potential (Campbell, 2015). In this respect, they require support and the positive environment from the healthcare professional to identify their capabilities and utilise them for their betterment.   

Discussion 

The Rogerian therapy belief on the individuality and have faith that individual can make necessary changes for themselves. The approach can allow the clients to utilise their own understanding of their experiences in the healing process. The person-centered therapy relies on the positive behaviour of the therapist with non judgemental and empathic approach towards the client which can boost up the confidence and courage to the client and help in their own decision making process. The empathic understanding between the therapist and client can help the therapist to understand the feeling and thought of their client.  The therapist should not carry the superiority complex and represent them as honest and trustworthy individuals to their clients. The transparency between the relationships can help to create a positive relationship (Psychology Today, 2019).   Thus, person centered therapy has a great impact on psychotherapy and other disciple of health care.     

Factors Necessary for Growth in Rogerian Theory

Rogers recognised that six key factors can stimulate the growth of an individual. According to his concept, these factors can help the person to achieve their potentiality. Therefore, the six important factors of person centered therapy are:   

Psychological contact between therapist-client: 

Roger’s belief that a positive relationship between the therapist and client can help to achieve positive personal changes in the clients. The degree of the relationship can vary according to the situation (Goodtherapy, 2018).   

Vulnerability of the client:

Any discrepancy between the client’s imagination and experiences about healthcare facilities can make them vulnerable to fear and anxieties. In some cases, clients are unaware of incongruence.     

Genuineness of therapist : 

The therapist should be self-aware of their professions along with compatible and genuine towards the work. However, it doesn’t confirm that the therapist is a picture of perfection but they suppose to be dedicated and trustworthy in their therapeutic relationship (Goodtherapy, 2018).       

Positive regard of the therapist: 

The response and experiences of the client should be accepted by the therapist whether it would be positive or negative(Goodtherapy, 2018). The therapist should not be judgemental with their clients. It can eliminate the chances of discrimination and clients can express their experiences with their therapist.   

Empathy of therapist: 

The therapist should demonstrate empathetic understanding to the clients. They should understand the emotional experiences of the client without involving emotionally (Goodtherapy, 2018).  

Client perception: 

The unconditional positive behaviour of the therapist can create an empathic relationship and understanding with the client. The ways of communication suppose to be a verbal and behavioural approach (Goodtherapy, 2018).   

  The key concepts of person-centred therapy

The humanistic influence on the therapy

The humanistic approach has major influenced on person-centred therapy as they beliefs that clients are trustworthy and capable. Therefore, the therapists focus on the ability of the client to make favourable changes for them.   

Actualisation 

Self actualisation is a process of developing in a complete way and every individual have a tendency to work for self actualisation. It is a process which continues throughout the life span as the individual works toward the self realisation, fulfillment of their capacity, achieve the goals, and self-regulation (Campbell, 2015).   

Conditions of worth 

The self-concept of the individual can shape from the important people in their life. The process of influence is known as the condition of worth. It is a judgemental and critical message from the important people in their life which influence the way of their acts and reacts to a specific situation (Wistreich, 2019). However, imposed conditions of worth can decrease the self-image of individuals. Additionally, the overprotective and dominating environment can have a negative impact on self-image.     

The fully functioning person 

The ideal emotional health can help the individual to function properly. Therefore, fully functioning can experience life with meaning and purpose. It can provide self-trust and confidence. The main aim of person-centred therapy is to work for fully functioning opportunities (Wistreich, 2019). 

Phenomenological perspective

It is a unique perception which beliefs that individuals have their own world and they reacts differently in this own way which is influenced by their experiences and perceives. Thus, person-centred therapy focuses on individual experiences. 

Goals of the therapy 

The prime goal of the person-centred therapy is facilitating the trust and ability of the clients and making the clients feel safe and honest to the therapist and should not be judged by the therapist. In addition, person-centred therapy can promote self awareness and self esteem of the clients. It can empower the client to change their approach and behaviour (Positive psychology program, 2019). Therefore, person-centred therapy can encourage the client’s behaviour and feeling. Additionally, it can help people to gain the ability to manage their lives and become self actualised. 

Strength of The person-centred approach

Counselling is effective personal communication between the client and therapist. It can solve the client’s problem by increasing the sense of wellbeing. It can help the client to explore their true self by honesty and empowering them. In addition, the process of empowerment can solve their difficulties. The person-centred approach can allow the client to plan their own session and control the process of therapy. In this approach, the therapist acts as a support system to the client. The therapist can show caring nature and non judgemental approach toward the client in spite of their abnormal behaviour and rigid pattern of thinking (Addiction, 2018). As per the opinion of Maslow (1970), self actualisation can help the client to concentrate on themselves and guide the therapist in the decision making process. It can help the client to become honest and independent. Additionally, it can enhance self growth; provide confidence and understanding of self. The main aim is to change the view of life by appreciating the client and developing relationships. The person-centred therapy learns the self actualisation to the client which improves the self acceptance and acceptability of the client. Furthermore, the person centred approach helps the therapist to accept the client non judgemental way and not pressuring them to change their approach (Joseph and Murphy, 2012). The empathy is the way of changing. The client can express their true feelings for making the society better and healthy. The approach is appreciable ad it would provide the chances to the individuals to identify their behaviour and areas of needs for modification.            

Rogerian theory in social work 

The person-centered therapy identified an individual as a different identity rather than considering themselves with problematic behaviour or inherently flawed individual requires medical intervention.  Person-Centered therapy considers that the individual has the capacity for their personal growth and development. Rogers termed the whole process as actualizing tendency of the individual (Murphy and Joseph, 2018). As per the comment of Rogers, individuals have vast resources for understanding themselves and altering their self concepts and basic behaviour. Therefore, the inner resources of the individual can be utilised if proper climate and psychological attitudes are offered to them.

In this respect, the staffs of person-centered therapist learn and recognise the human potential and providing unconditional positive regard to the client along with empathy. The therapist never pressurised their client and help them to explain their desire and thoughts. The therapist offers support, guidance to their client instead of pressurising them. The main motive is to discover the personalised solution of the client. The Person-centered therapy can support the humanistic psychology movement in the mental health field and supported with several therapeutic techniques (Person-centred Therapy, 2010). The theory of Rogers has been long associated with the nursing profession and established mutual trust and understanding with the individuals. In addition, it can teach the healthcare staff to respect and value the client’s rights and develop a therapeutic relationship for their care. At present, Person-centred therapy is becoming a prime concept in healthcare services to provide better care and services to their clients. In Australia and UK, person-centred care has a solid foundation in provide facilities and healthcare service.   The development of person centered therapy is the most important contribution of Rogers to psychology and for a person to achieve their potential (Mcleod, 2019). Rogers disagrees with psychoanalysis ad behaviourism and emphasis on a humanistic approach. Therefore, recognition of self actualisation has a potential impact on human life. However, the potential capabilities are constrained by the environment. Therefore, person centered therapy can help the individual to recognise them and solve their own complication.     

 Conclusion 

The person-centred approach was developed on a humanistic approach. It is an optimistic therapy which focuses on the ability of the client to change their lives and struggle for self actualisation. It emphasise on genuineness and boundaries of techniques to improve the condition of the client. It is a different approach to counseling from the orthodox techniques. The counsellor must have a positive and optimistic view of human behaviours. Therefore, it can be concluded that a successful person centered therapy is believed on all about living life.