Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

Humanistic Therapy585Humanistic TherapyKey Theme• The most influential humanistic psychotherapy is client-centered therapy,which was developed by Carl Rogers.Key Questions• What are the key assumptions of humanistic therapy, including clientcenteredtherapy?• What therapeutic techniques and conditions are important in clientcenteredtherapy?• How do client-centered therapy and psychoanalysis differ?client-centered therapyA type of psychotherapy developed by humanisticpsychologist Carl Rogers in whichthe therapist is nondirective and reflective,and the client directs the focus of eachtherapy session; also called person-centeredtherapy.The humanistic perspective in psychology emphasizes human potential, self-awareness,and freedom of choice (see Chapter 10). Humanistic psychologists contend thatthe most important factor in personality is the individual’s conscious, subjectiveperception of his or her self. They see people as being innately good and motivatedby the need to grow psychologically. If people are raised in a genuinely acceptingatmosphere and given freedom to make choices, they will develop healthy selfconceptsand strive to fulfill their unique potential as human beings (Kirschenbaum& Jourdan, 2005; Pos & others, 2008).Carl Rogers and Client-Centered TherapyThe humanistic perspective has exerted a strong influence on psychotherapy (Cain 2002,2003; Schneider & Krug, 2009). Probably the most influential of the humanistic psychotherapiesis client-centered therapy, also called person-centered therapy, developedby Carl Rogers. In naming his therapy, Rogers (1951) deliberately used the wordclient rather than patient. He believed that the medical term patient implied that peoplein therapy were “sick” and were seeking treatment from an all-knowing authorityfigure who could “heal” or “cure” them. Instead of stressing the therapist’s expertiseor perceptions of the patient, client-centered therapy emphasizes the client’s subjectiveperception of himself and his environment (Cain, 2002; Raskin & Rogers, 2005).Like Freud, Rogers saw the therapeutic relationship as the catalyst that leads toinsight and lasting personality change. But Rogers viewed the nature of this relationshipvery differently from Freud. According to Rogers (1977), the therapistshould not exert power by offering carefully timed “interpretations” of the patient’sunconscious conflicts. Advocating just the opposite, Rogers believed thatCarl Rogers (1902–1987) In his classic text,On Becoming a Person, Rogers (1961) describedhow his own thinking changed ashe developed client-centered therapy. Hewrote, “In my early professional years, Iwas asking the question: How can I treat,or cure, or change this person? Now Iwould phrase the question in this way:How can I provide a relationship whichthis person may use for his own personalgrowth?”Group Therapy Session with Carl RogersRogers filmed many of his therapy sessionsas part of an ongoing research program toidentify the most helpful aspects of clientcenteredtherapy. Shown on the far right,Rogers contended that human potentialwould flourish in an atmosphere of genuineness,unconditional positive regard,and empathic understanding.