Person-Centered Practice Flashcards
(36 cards)
Who developed Person-Centered Practice, and when?
Carl Rogers in the 1940’s to 1950’s
When was Carl Rogers birth and death?
1902 - 1987
Is Person-Centered Practice a part of Humanistic Psychology?
Yes
What is Humanistic Psychology?
A psychological perspective that emphasizes individual growth, free will, self-actualization, and the inherent worth and potential of all people.
Who are some humanistic theorists and their key workings?
Carl Rogers - Person-Centered Practice, actualizing tendency, core conditions for change
Abraham Maslow - Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualization
Rollo May - Existential-humanistic therapy, emphasis on anxiety and meaning
Viktor Frankl - Logotherapy, meaning in suffering
Fritz Perls - Gestalt therapy, awareness and responsibility
Natalie Rogers (daughter of Carl Rogers) - Expressive Arts Therapy (expanded on Carl Rogers’ work)
What is common among humanistic theorists?
They all share a belief in human dignity, the importance of choice, and the healing power of presence and empathy
What is the philosophical basis of PCP?
That people are inherently good, capable of growth, and tend to direct themselves toward change when in the right conditions
What are the right conditions for therapeutic change according to PCP?
The right conditions = Realness + Empathy + Radical Acceptance + Connection
What are the Six Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Therapeutic Change (also know as the ‘facilitative conditions’)?
- Congruence (Counsellor is congruent)
- Unconditional Positive Regard (Counsellor offers UPR)
- Empathic Understanding (Counsellor expresses empathy for client and their frame of reference)
(these three conditions are also called the Core Conditions)
- Client perceives empathy and UPR from Counsellor - Client feels heard and accepted
- Client is in a state of incongruence but therapist isn’t judging, advising, or trying to “fix” the client
- Psychological contact exists between client and counsellor - a real, present connection between two humans
(these three conditions create the safe, trusting therapeutic environment)
What are the 6 Core Concepts of PCP?
- Actualizing Tendency
- Self-Concept
- Incongruence
- Congruence
- Empathy
- Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)
What are the (9) key micro-skills of PCP?
- Active listening
- Reflection of feelings
- Paraphrasing
- Summarizing
- Minimal encouragers
- Open-ended questions
- Silence
- Clarifying
- Congruent sharing
What are the (5) core philosophical assumptions of PCP and what do they mean?
- Actualizing tendency
This means every person has a natural innate drive towards growth, health and fulfilment
- The client is the expert of their own lives
This means the client is the best authority on their own lived experience
- Self-directed growth
This means a person will move toward healing if the right conditions are presented
(the right conditions being Realness + Empathy + Radical Acceptance + Connection)
(see also the Six Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Therapeutic Change)
- Counsellor as facilitator
This means the counsellor doesn’t direct the client, they accompany the client
- Human nature is good
This means that PCP assumes people are trustworthy, resourceful, honest, and capable
What are the (9) key PCP concepts/terms and what do they mean?
- Self-concept
The self-identity of an individual; their own idea of “who they are” - Ideal Self
Who the person wants to be - Incongruence
The gap between the self-concept and actual lived experience - Congruent
Realness and authenticity, particularly from the counsellor - Empathy
Deep understanding of the client’s emotional world - Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR)
Full acceptance of the client without judgement - Conditions of worth
External rules and messages the client internalizes to feel valuable - Locus of evaluation
Internal vs. external guidance for self-worth and decisions - Organismic valuing process
The internal compass guiding a person toward growth
What is the role of the counsellor in PCP?
- Facilitator of the conditions for change, not the fixer or problem solver
- Non-directive; following the client’s lead
- Non-judgmental
- Congruent and genuine, deeply accepting and present
- Does not interpret, advise, diagnose or reframe
What are some criticisms/limitations of PCP?
- Cultural limitations (PCP is focused on individualism)
- Not as effective for clients with severe trauma, high needs, or those that need structure/a more directive approach
- Assumes all clients can access their inner wisdom which may not always be true
What is meant by the necessary and sufficient condition of ‘psychological contact’?
This means a real relationship between two humans which is marked by connection and presence where both are engaged and emotionally aware of each other. It is considered the basic human-to-human link.
What is meant by the necessary and sufficient condition of ‘incongruence’? (client is in a state of incongruence)
This means the client is feeling anxious, confused, or stuck due to an internal misalignment between the self-concept and the reality of their lived experience. They are vulnerable and want something to change even if they don’t know what that something is.
What is meant by the necessary and sufficient condition of ‘congruence’? (counsellor is congruent)
This means the counsellor is self-aware, emotionally honest and open. They are being real and human, not pretending. They are genuine and transparent.
What is meant by the necessary and sufficient condition of ‘unconditional positive regard’? (UPR)
This means the counsellor holds an open, accepting and non-judgmental stance toward the client. They accept the client fully and value them no matter what
What is meant by the necessary and sufficient condition of ‘empathy’?
This means the counsellor feels with the client, understanding their emotional reality as if they were inside it. The counsellor sees life from the client’s frame of reference, it is a deeply attuned presence, the counsellor deeply understands the client’s inner world and communicates this understanding.
Rogers called empathy the ability “to sense the client’s private world as if it were your own, but without ever losing the ‘as if’ quality”
What is meant by the necessary and sufficient condition ‘perceived empathy and UPR’?
This means the client feels the empathy and UPR being offered by the counsellor. They feel heard and accepted.
What is meant by the PCP micro-skill of ‘reflection of feelings’?
It means repeating back the emotional content of what was said, mirroring the emotional tones.
“you sound really frustrated”
What is meant by the PCP micro-skill of ‘paraphrasing’?
It means rewording the clients statement to show understanding, restating their content in my own words.
“so you’re saying that…”
What is meant by the PCP micro-skill of ‘summarizing’?
It means condensing what the client said over a period of time, pulling together the themes or key points from long sections. The purpose is to clarify or review information.
