Carl Rogers: The Humanistic Approach

1. Carl Rogers: The Humanistic Approach Two Basic Human Needs • Self Actualization:the need to fulfill all of one’s potential. • Positive Regard:the need to receive acceptance, respect, and affection from others. Positive regard often comes with conditions attached (“Conditions of Worth”): We must meet others’ expectations to get it. This is called Conditional Positive Regard.

2. Basic Human Problem: The two needs are often in conflict. Satisfying one may mean giving up the other. Effect on Personality: We get a false picture of who we are—our interests, motivations, goals, abilities. Our Two Selves Real Self (“Organism”): all our experiences (feelings, wishes, perceptions) Self-Concept: the person we think we are (e.g., “I am...”)

3. Losing Touch with the Real Self • We have a need for positive self-regard (to like and respect ourselves). • Conditional positive regard from others becomes conditional positive self-regard. • This means we will like and accept only those parts of ourselves that other people like and accept. • The self-concept pulls away from the real self; we get a false picture of who we really are. • This mismatch is called Incongruence.

4. Person-Centered Therapy:The Goal is Congruence Incongruence has many harmful effects. One is that it prevents self-actualization. You have to know who you are to fulfill your potential. The therapist tries to bring the self-concept closer to the real self: Self-Concept Real Self Congruence

5. Two Features ofPerson-Centered Therapy • Empathic Understanding: the therapist shows emotions similar to the client’s. 2.Unconditional Positive Regard: the therapist shows respect and acceptance regardless of what the client says; e.g., nods, says “Mm-hmm, I see”. The client wants the therapist’s approval and respect. This is given unconditionally. The client can now respect and like him/herself unconditionally. This allows the self-concept to move closer to the real self.