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Current Psychotherapies Humanism and Person-Centered Therapy

Current Psychotherapies Humanism and Person-Centered Therapy. Rebecca Lawthom r.lawthom@mmu.ac.uk. Who can we thank for the Humanistic Theory?. Carl Ransom Rogers (1902-1987)- American theorist most closely associated with the humanistic theory. Some times called “The Founder of Humanism.”.

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Current Psychotherapies Humanism and Person-Centered Therapy

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  1. Current PsychotherapiesHumanism and Person-Centered Therapy Rebecca Lawthom r.lawthom@mmu.ac.uk

  2. Who can we thank for the HumanisticTheory? Carl Ransom Rogers (1902-1987)- American theorist most closely associated with the humanistic theory. Some times called “The Founder of Humanism.”

  3. Abraham Maslow(1908-1970) Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and attended University of Wiscosin. Also one of the found fathers of the Humanistic theory.

  4. What defines the Humanistic Theory ? People are inherently good and try to make morally right decisions. Perceptions of your experiences is a result of your own view rather than environment. Focus on “self”, the individual. Nurture over nature. Decisions are goal-oriented , and organism has a natural tendency to strive, actualize and enhance individual’s experience. This idea of a human’s journey to self actualization is best described in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

  5. Key Points and Terms • Developed by Carl Rogers. • Also termed Client-Centered. Humanistic, or Phenomenological Therapy • The person is viewed as creative, responsible, developing individual • By providing a therapeutic atmosphere which is real, caring, and non-judgmental the person can develop their full potential

  6. Challenges • PC challenges: • The assumption that “the counsellor knows best” • The validity of advice, suggestion, persuasion, teaching, diagnosis, and interpretation • The belief that clients cannot understand and resolve their own problems without direct help • The focus on problems over persons

  7. Emphasizes • Emphasizes: • Therapy as a journey shared by two people • The person’s innate striving for self-actualization • The personal characteristics of the therapist • The quality of the therapeutic relationship

  8. Emphasizes • Emphasizes: • The counsellor’s creation of a permissive, “growth promoting” climate • People are capable of self-directed growth if involved in a therapeutic relationship • Person-Centered Therapy is a form of humanistic therapy

  9. Roger’s Basic Assumptions • Rogers believed in an actualizing tendency in all human beings • Represented movement towards the realization of the individual’s full potential • Viewed as part of a formative tendency • Formative tendency represents movement toward order, complexity and interrelatedness • Seen across aspects of nature including the stars, crystals, microorganisms and humans

  10. Basic Requirements for the Therapeutic Environment (Therapist) • Genuineness/Congruence • Correspondence between the therapist’s thoughts and their behavior • Unconditional Positive Regard • Therapist’s regard/attitude remains unaltered regardless of the client’s choices • Empathy • Profound interest and care for the client’s perceptions and feelings

  11. Basic Requirements for the Therapeutic Environment (Client) • Self-concept • At therapy onset, self regard/self-esteem often low • Improvement correlated with success in therapy • Locus-of-Evaluation • At therapy onset, focus on what others think • Progress associated with internal locus-of-evaluation • Experiencing • At therapy onset, rigid • Success related to flexibility

  12. Distinctive Components of Person-Centered Therapy • Therapist’s attitude can be necessaryANDsufficient conditions for change • Therapist needs to be immediately present and accessible to clients

  13. Distinctive Components of Person-Centered Therapy • Intensive, continuous focus on client's phenomenological world • Process marked by client’s ability to live fully in the moment • Focus on personality change, not structure of personality

  14. Comparing Person-Centered Therapy with Psychoanalysis Language – Common Sense (PC) Esoteric (Psychoanalysis) How to Understand Theindividual – Subjective Interpersonal (PC) Objective intrapersonal (Psychoanalysis) Emphasis – Purpose (PC) Causality (Psychoanalysis) Characterization Of the individual – Holistic (PC) Reductionistic (Psychoanalysis) View of Human Nature – People are basically good (PC) People are bad (Psychoanalysis)

  15. Comparing Person-Centered Therapy with Psychoanalysis Role of Therapist – Facilitate self discovery (PC) Interpretation for the pt (Psychoanalysis) View of Transference – Not central to the client’s ability to change (PC) Fundamental to the change process (Psychoanalysis) Presentation Of Therapist – A caring person who is willing to listen (PC) Authority, teacher (Psychoanalysis)

  16. Difference between PC Therapist and Behavior Therapist • PC would argue that behavioral changes occur through internal factors whereas behavioral therapy sees behavior changing through external factors.

  17. History of PC Therapy • Carl Rogers was born 1902, Oak Park Illinois • Family emphasized strong work ethic, responsibility and the fundamentals of religion. • Graduated 1924 from University of Wisconsin • Started at the Union Theological Seminary then transferred to Teacher’s College, Columbia University • Worked for 12 years at a Child-Guidance Center • In 1939 published Clinical Treatment of the Problem Child • Offered professorship at Ohio State University • 1940 Rogers presented Some Newer concepts in Psychotherapy at the University of Minnesota (viewed by most as the birth of Client-Centered Therapy) • Published Counseling and Psychotherapy in 1942 • During WWII served as Director of Counseling Services for the US Organizations • Served as head of University of Chicago Counseling Center (12 years) • In 1957, Rogers published classic paper on “necessary and sufficient conditions” for therapy. • Rogers died in 1987

  18. Current Status of PC Therapy • Special interest of Rogers was application of his theory to international relationships • Since 1982 Biennial International Forums on PC approach • Workshops at Warm Springs • Person-Centered Review began to be published in 1986 (renamed The Person-Centered Journal)

  19. Theory of Personality19 Propositions 1. Individual is center of a continually changing world of experience 2. Organism reacts based on their reality 3. Organism reacts as an organized whole 4. Organism has one basic tendency – actualization 5. Behavior is goal directed based on perception of reality 6. Emotion accompanies and facilitates goal directed behavior

  20. Theory of Personality19 Propositions 7. Best point to understand behavior is from the individual’s frame of reference 8. Part of the perceptual field is differentiated as the self 9. Self is formed through interaction 10. Values come from experience and introjection from others

  21. Theory of Personality19 Propositions 11. Experiences are integrated, ignored, or denied 12. Behavior is generally consistent with self concept 13. Behaviors inconsistent with self concept can occur but are seen as “not owned” 14. Psychological maladjustment comes from denied experiences

  22. Theory of Personality19 Propositions 15. Psychological adjustment occurs when experiences are assimilated 16. Experiences inconsistent with self-concept are perceived as threats 17. Under the right conditions inconsistent experiences can be examined/assimilated

  23. Theory of Personality19 Propositions 18. When the individual integrates in all of their experiences they are more understanding of others 19. As experiences are integrated an internal locus-of-evaluation develops

  24. Roger’s Theory of Personality Summarized • Behavior is best understood through the individual’s reality (perception of experiences) • For social purposes, reality is defined as common perceptionsacross individuals • Personal growth occurs through decreased defensiveness

  25. Roger’s Theory of Personality Summarized • Self actualization is the organism’s one, basic tendency (Rogers believed an organism has one basic tendency and striving which is to actualize, maintain and enhance the experiencing organism

  26. Roger’s Theory of Personality Summarized • Experiences inconsistent with self concept are threats leading to increased rigidity • Therapy allows the individual to accept and integrate all of their experiences • In Roger's personality theory, behavior is defined as a goal directed attempt to satisfy an organism's needs

  27. Other Concepts • Experience is the private world of the individual • Reality basically refers to the private perceptions of the individual; For social purposes, reality consists of perceptions that have a high degree of commonality among individuals

  28. Other Concepts • Self is the organized gestalt of “I” and “me” • According to Rogers, the center of an individual's world of experience is the individual • The process by which an individual becomes aware of an experience is known as symbolization

  29. Other Concepts • In ambiguous situations individuals tend to symbolize experiences in a manner consistent with self concept • Carl Rogers would view neurosis as the result of incongruence between the real selfand the ideal self. • All humans had an actualizing tendency, which he saw as a part of the formative tendency of the world

  30. Rogerian View of Psychotherapy • Implied Therapeutic Conditions • Client and therapist must be in psychological contact • Client must experience distress • Client must be willing to receive conditions offered by therapist

  31. Process of PC Therapy • Therapy begins at first contact • In the first interview, a person centered therapist will go where the client goes • For Carl Rogers, empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence (genuineness) were the 3 basic requirements to create a therapeutic environment

  32. Process of PC Therapy • Respect shown immediately for client • In addition to the basic requirements of the therapeutic environment for the therapist, Rogers believed the client must focus on self-concept, locus-of-evaluation and experiencing • Therapy’s length is determined by client (In person centered therapy termination is decided by the client)

  33. Process of PC Therapy • Quick suggestions and reassurances are avoided • Empathy - Understanding another individual by "living" in their internal frame of reference • Person centered therapists believe that empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence are necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change

  34. Process of PC Therapy • Congruence - a correspondence between the thoughts and the behavior of a therapist • Client centered therapy focuses most heavily on the present • A successful person centered therapy outcome would be defined by the client's evaluation that therapy was beneficial

  35. Therapist Role and Function • Function: to be present and accessible to clients, to focus on immediate experience, to be real in the relationship with clients • Through the therapist’s attitude of genuine caring, respect, acceptance, and understanding, clients become less defensive and more open to their experience and facilitate the personal growth

  36. Therapist Role and Function • Role: Therapist’s attitude and belief in the inner resources of the client, not in techniques, facilitate personal change in the client • Use of self as an instrument of change • Focuses on the quality of the therapeutic relationship • Serves as a model of a human being struggling toward greater realness • Is genuine, integrated, and authentic • Can openly express feelings and attitudes that are present in the relationship with the client

  37. Therapy Goals • helping a person become a fully functioning person • Clients have the capacity to define their goals • an openness to experience • A trust in themselves • An internal source of evaluation • A willingness to continue growing

  38. Client’s Experience in Therapy • Incongruence: discrepancy between self-perception and experience in realityanxietymotivation to help • As clients feel understood and accepted, their defensiveness is less necessary and they become more open to their experiences • Therapeutic relationship activates clients’ self-healing capacities

  39. Relationship between Therapist and Client • Emphasizes the attitudes and personal characteristics of the therapist and the quality of therapeutic relationship. • Therapist listening in an accepting way to their clients, they learn how to listen acceptingly to themselves.

  40. Relationship between Therapist and Client • A central variable related to progress in person-centered therapy is the relationship between therapist and client • A person-centered therapist is a facilitator

  41. Therapeutic Techniques • It is not technique-oriented • The therapeutic relationship is the primary agent of growth in the client • Therapist’s presence: being completely engaged in the relationship with clients. • The best source of knowledge about the client is the individual client • Caring confrontations can be beneficial

  42. Application • individual counseling, group counseling, businesses, international relations, community development education, marriage and family … • A variety of problems: anxiety, crisis intervention, interpersonal difficulties, depression, personality disorder…..

  43. Contribution from a Multicultural Perspective • Contributions • Has reached more than 30 counties and has been translated to 12 languages • Reduction of racial and political tensions… • Limitations • Some people need more structure, coping skills, directedness • Some may focus on family or societal expectations instead of internal evaluation • May be unfamiliar with people in different cultures

  44. Contribution of PC Therapy • Contributions • Active role of responsibility of client • Inner and subjective experience • Relationship-centered • Focus on therapist’s attitudes • Focus on empathy, being present, and respecting the clients’ values • Value multicultural context

  45. Summary and Evaluation • Limitations • Discount the significance of the past • Misunderstanding the basic concept: e.g., reflecting feelings. • People in crisis situations often need more directive intervention strategies. • Client tend to expect a more structured approach.

  46. Bozarth’s (1998) Summarization of Research on Psychotherapy • According to Bozarth's summarization of research on psychotherapy, the most consistent variables affecting therapy are empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence (genuineness) • Effective psychotherapy predicated on: • Relationship between therapist and client • Internal and external • Type of therapy, technique, training and experience of therapists are largely irrelevant • Clients who receive psychotherapy improve more than those who do not • Little support that specific treatments are best for particular issues • Most consistent variables related to effectiveness are empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard

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