On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy

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In other words, if you can be whatever you want to be, what you are at the moment is exactly what you are not (statistically, let’s say that’s only about 1% of your potential realized and you still have 99% to go). He believed that the experience of being understood and valued gives us the freedom to grow, while pathology generally arises from attempting to earn others’ positive regard rather than following an ‘inner compass’. After two years, Rogers left the seminary to attend Teachers College, Columbia University, obtaining an M.A. in 1927 and a Ph.D. in 1931. [11] While completing his doctoral work, he engaged in child study. In 1930, Rogers served as director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in Rochester, New York. From 1935 to 1940 he lectured at the University of Rochester and wrote The Clinical Treatment of the Problem Child (1939), based on his experience in working with troubled children. He was strongly influenced in constructing his client-centered approach by the post-Freudian psychotherapeutic practice of Otto Rank, [12] especially as embodied in the work of Rank's disciple, noted clinician and social work educator Jessie Taft. [13] [14] In 1940 Rogers became professor of clinical psychology at the Ohio State University, where he wrote his second book, Counseling and Psychotherapy (1942). In it, Rogers suggests that by establishing a relationship with an understanding, accepting therapist, a client can resolve difficulties and gain the insight necessary to restructure their life. We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are, at least as we believe ourselves to be. The Good Life

If you remember well, Sartre’s main idea was rather simply formulated: in humans, “existence precedes essence,” i.e., there is no blueprint on how a human should look like (essence), so we are in charge of the meaning of our own lives (existence).If the ideal self is unrealistic or there’s a significant disparity between the real and ideal self, it can lead to incongruence, resulting in dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and even mental health issues. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sourcesin this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Carl Rogers’ self-concept is a central theme in his humanistic theory of psychology. It encompasses an individual’s self-image (how they see themselves), self-esteem (how much value they place on themselves), and ideal self (the person they aspire to be).

Rogers goes onto say that we already have much of the knowledge we need to “decrease the inter-racial, industrial, and international tensions which exist,” but that such knowledge is vastly underutilised, if utilised at all. I love this. I love that it shows Rogers’ deep compassion for humanity as a whole. That what we’re dealing with here is more than just individual therapy but about healing hurts on a much grander scale. This is Me Conditional positive regard is where positive regard, praise, and approval, depend upon the child, for example, behaving in ways that the parents think correct. The environment a person is exposed to and interacts with can either frustrate or assist this natural destiny. If it is oppressive, it will frustrate; if it is favorable, it will assist.As the individual perceives and accepts into his self structure more of his organic experiences, he finds that he is replacing his present value system—based extensively on introjections which have been distortedly symbolized—with a continuing organismic valuing process. It includes all the goals, values, and traits a person deems ideal or desirable. It’s their vision of “who I want to be.”

This means that self-actualization occurs when a person’s “ideal self” (i.e., who they would like to be) is congruent with their actual behavior (self-image). And the job of a psychotherapist should be that: to listen attentively and pass no judgment over his patients, thus creating a safe environment wherein one can really get in touch with his true self. At the extreme, a person who constantly seeks approval from other people is likely only to have experienced conditional positive regard as a child. Congruence & Incongruence While simple to understand, practicing unconditional positive regard can be challenging, as it requires setting aside personal opinions, beliefs, and values. In a recent study, Rogers was rated by colleagues to be both the sixth most eminent psychologist of the 20 th century and the second most respected clinician, only to Sigmund Freud. “On Becoming A Person PDF Summary”

Unsurprisingly, he received quite a few honors for his work, including the inaugural Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in 1956 and the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Psychology n 1972, both bestowed upon him by the American Psychological Association (APA). In my relationships with persons, I have found that it does not help, in the long run, to act as though I were something that I am not.” Rogers, Carl (1989). The Carl Rogers Reader. Google Books: Houghton Mifflin. p. 457. ISBN 978-0-395-48357-2. 1985 the rust peace workshop. My copy of Carl R. Rogers’ On Becoming a Person has taken a good battering over several years of training to become a qualified counsellor. This method involves removing obstacles so the client can move forward, freeing him or her for normal growth and development. By using non-directive techniques, Rogers assisted people in taking responsibility for themselves.

In many ways, Rogers regarded the fully functioning person as an ideal and one that people do not ultimately achieve. A growing openness to experience: they move away from defensiveness and have no need for subception (a perceptual defense that involves unconsciously applying strategies to prevent a troubling stimulus from entering consciousness).Isenhart, Myra Warren, and Spangle, Michael L. (2000). Collaborative Approaches to Resolving Conflict. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-0-7619-1930-8.