8/16/2019 What is the Person
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What is the Person-Centred Approach?
The Person-Centred Approach developed from the work of the
psychologist Dr. Carl
Rogers (1!" # 1$%&. 'e advanced an approach to psychotherapy
and conselling
that) at the time (1*!s # 1+!s&) was considered e,tremely
radical if notrevoltionary.
riginally descried as non-directive) this therapy moved away
from the idea that the
therapist was the e,pert and towards a theory that trsted the
innate tendency (known
as the actalising tendency& of hman eings to find flfilment
of their personal
potentials. An important part of this theory is that in a
particlar psychological
environment) the flfilment of personal potentials incldes
sociaility) the need to e
with other hman eings and a desire to know and e known y other
people. /t also
incldes eing open to e,perience) eing trsting and trstworthy)
eing crios aot
the world) eing creative and compassionate.
The psychological environment descried y Rogers was one where a
person felt free
from threat) oth physically and psychologically. This
environment cold e achieved
when eing in a relationship with a person who was deeply
nderstanding (empathic&)
accepting (having nconditional positive regard& and genine
(congrent&.
Althogh initially developed as an approach to psychotherapy
(eventally ecoming
known as client0person-centred therapy0conselling&) Rogers
and his colleages came
to elieve that their ideas cold e transferred to other areas
where people were in
relationships. or e,ample teaching) management) childcare)
patient care) conflict
resoltion.
Today there are many people who) althogh not working as
psychotherapists and
consellors) se the work of Rogers as giding principles in their
day-to-day work and
relationships.
At one level) Rogers2 theory and work is very simple to descrie.
As many people
wold attest) oth those sing the approach and those working as
person-
therapists0consellors) it can e very difficlt to pt into
practice ecase the approach
does not se techni3es t relies on the personal 3alities of the
therapist0person to
ild a non-4dgemental and empathic relationship.
