Person-Centered Theory Techniques and Practices in Group Settings

Person-Centered Theory
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Person-Centered Theory
History
Person-centered theory, alternatively known as Rogerian psychotherapy, is a type of psychotherapy developed at the beginning of the 1940s by psychologist Carl R. Rogers. In 1920, Carl R. Rogers attended Columbia University where he was trained in clinical psychology. This was a period whereby clinical psychology was in its infancy and psychiatry was enamored with Freudian, and the child guidance movement employed many directive techniques for working with school students and children. Clinical social workers and psychologists were desperate for practical methods for helping adults and children with psychological, “social adjustment,” and emotional issues (Kirshenbaum, 2009).
With exposure to the techniques of child guidance, testing and measurement, and psychoanalysis, Roger’s training was eclectic. At Columbia University, he was mainly influenced by the advancing education movement, which helped students work cooperatively in groups and become self-directed learners. Rogers worked for the Rochester Society from 1928 to 1940 as a director of the Child Study Department, which focused on the prevention of cruelty to children. Rogers had a laboratory in Rochester in which he worked with troubled adults and children as he developed his ideas. Rogers was impressed by a particular individual, Jessie Taft, whose “relationship therapy” shifted significantly from previous content and focused on the client’s self-insight and self-actualization within therapeutic relationships (Taft, 1933). It is in this period that he developed the person-centered theory.
Theoretical Beliefs
The person-centered theory was coined from the notion of humanistic psychology. The humanistic perspective views individuals as autonomous and capable, with the ability to change their lives in positive ways, resolve their difficulties, and realize their potential. Rogers emphasized the humanistic approach and ensured that therapeutic relationships promote authenticity, actualization, and self-esteem in their lives (Rogers, 1957).
The person-centered theory initially focused on the client controlling the therapy, which caused the client to develop an improved understanding of self-exploration and self-concepts. The focus then shifted to the client’s frame of reference and the major conditions needed for therapy to be successful such as ensuring that the counselor displays empathic understanding in a non-judgmental manner (Rogers & Carmichael, 1951). Presently, the person-centered theory focuses on the client’s ability to develop an improved understanding of self without direct involvement by the therapist.
Techniques and Practices in Group Settings
In the person-centered theory, the techniques employed are aimed at fostering an environment that facilitates the self-awareness process. The techniques involved include unconditional positive regard, empathy, non-directiveness, and congruence. In group settings, unconditional positive regard means that the counselor accepts, respects, and cares about the clients. Unconditional positive re...