pct presentation wilma

8/2/2019 PCT Presentation Wilma

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The Process of Person

Centered TherapyJenny Goodwill, Teresa Lawless, Shane Gallagher, Niall Milton


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Introduction

CARL ROGERS (1902 1987)

Originally Background in Psychoanalysis and Psychology

However, when he tried to put this learning into practice he found It just didnt work.

Became strongly influenced by the Humanist Movement and in particular the teachings ofKirkegaard, Maslow, May, Buber and other Humanists. (Corey, 2009)

Out of Humanism Rogers developed the following concepts, which go to the core of hisPerson Centred Approach, including:

Self-actualisation (SA)

One of the main tenets of the person-centred approach is the belief in the actualisingtendency, which is the basic, tendency in all organisms to fulfil their potential (OFarrell,2004, P. 29).

So in an ideal world with no obstacles or disasters effecting it, an organism will naturallymove towards becoming all it is capable of becoming.


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Conditions of Worth (COW)

However, SA can be thwarted by the COW, which a person acquires from thesignificant others (Parents, teachers, peers etc.) who surround them in their lives

i.e If I am loved and encouraged I will naturally move towards SA. However, if I amunloved and harshly criticised I will adopt the conditions of worth that will helpme to survive i.e. I will be quiet, subservient etc. These conditions of worthbecome internalised and continue to function outside childhood and become partof..

The Self-Concept - Divided into three:

The Self The real me, my organismic fundamental being.

Self-Concept What I believe myself to be.

Self-Image The image of myself that I portray to the external world, that I

believe will help me gain approval (mostly false).

Often these three can become intertwined resulting in false beliefs about self andthese become barriers towards moving towards SA. However, the self concept is afluctuating one and is capable of change (negative and positive).

(OFarrell, 2004)


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In 1957 Rogers published a paper indicating the necessary (often referred toas core) conditions for psychotherapeutic personality change, in anypsychotherapy. Rogers indicated that before positive change could occur

1. Two persons are in psychological contact.

2. The first, the client is incongruent, being vulnerable and anxious.

3. The second, the therapist is congruent or integrated in the relationship.

4. The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client.

5. The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the clients internalframe of reference and endeavours to communicate this to the client.

6. The communication to the client of the therapists empathic understanding

and unconditional regard is to a minimum degree achieved.

(Rogers, 1957)


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A textbook definition of congruence would indicate that it involves youunderstanding what you are feeling and why you are feeling it and incongruencethe reverse.

However, for Rogers this also meant that you must not only understand this , butbe willing to represent these feelings, if it is beneficial to the client, in themoment, in therapy (in the here and now).

(Corsini & Wedding, 2011)

Unconditional Positive Regard(UPR) is an extremely difficult attitude to develop

(Mearns, 2003, P. 4)

Often confused with liking (which involves similarity or complementarity)

However, this is not the case UPR can only come about, in the therapist, throughtheir own intensive personal development. This results in the therapist valuing(not necessarily liking) the client in their totality. Results in a contradiction of theCOW, which have already been placed on the client.

(Mearns, 2003)


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One of the main tasks of the therapist is to understand clients experiences and feelings sensitively andaccurately as they are revealed in the moment-to-moment interaction during therapy sessions. (Corey,2009, P. 175)

This is Rogers empathic understanding (EU). It involves the therapist putting themselves in the place ofthe client and trying to feel what they are feeling, without sympathy or pity as the case may be. EU hasbeen described as one of the cornerstones of PCT, an active ingredient for positive change in the clientand one of the most powerful tools that a therapist has at their disposal.

(Watson, 2002)

The Therapeutic Relationship:

If I can provide a certain type of relationship, the other person (the client) will discover within himselfor herself the capacity to use that relationship for growth and change, and personal development willoccur. (Rogers, 1961, P.33)

Rogers went even further significant positive personality change does not occur except in arelationship (Rogers, 1967, P. 73)

The client is the architect of the therapy The therapist must be prepared to insert themselves into the

clients world, in whatever way the client chooses to share it. The premise being that the client is theone who knows where their problems are occurring and so they are the ones who bring the issues tothe table. This occurs without case history, without an agreed number of sessions, without diagnosis,without direction and without interference.

(Witty, 2004)


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However, while PCT has no explicit goals, an implicit one is:

the client will be helped to find and to exercise more of his own personal power, withregard to understanding and evaluating his actions in the past and present and in makingdecisions in the future (Mearns, 2003, P. xi)

Change occurs through the therapeutic relationship and the core conditions. The client-therapist relationship is one of equality. Therapists show full transparency about thetherapeutic process, do not keep their knowledge a secret from the client and do not seekto mystify the process. As clients experience the accepting listening, caring and valuing of

the therapist, they begin to listen to, care for and value themselves. As the therapist isperceived as real, by the client, the client begins to drop their false masks and are real tothemselves and the therapist.

The therapist too is learning from each client, through the life experiences of the client thetherapist is broadening their own self knowledge and self understanding.

This is the shared journey of change in the therapeutic process.

(Corey, 2009)


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Beginnings

The Client has a blockage of internal communication andthoughts and experiences are rigid.

Will present an aversion to experiencing painful emotions.i.e. Defences

Well established facades may be in place leading toincreased neurosis. These facades are often fiercelyprotected.

Negative effects of neuroses in the clients life are the

likely reason the Client has entered the therapeuticrelationship.

The organismic self is often not in conscious awareness.


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Beginnings

The therapeutic relationship allows the client to exploreand examine their experience without cognitive distortion.

The Client is encouraged to focus on their sensory and

visceral experiences. i.e. Where in your body do you feelthat? or Can you describe that feeling?

This may be the first time the client has been encouragedto do so.

Inconsistencies between what the client feels and whatthey think are explored.

Ideal self concept vs. visceral, sensory experience.


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Beginnings

Client is willing to offer descriptions of feelings, but theseare often un-owned or incongruent.

Relating to the Therapist may be the first time the Clientexperiences unconditional positive regard, genuinenessand empathy from another person.

They begin to feel received, often Clients own

environment does not provide these conditions.


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Beginnings

Client begins to learn to accept the positive emotionalreactions of another without fear.

Client's perception of unconditional positive regard givesthem confidence to explore the conflict between selfconcept and how they actually feel.

Client perceives the therapist's genuine interest andcaring for them.

Through this foundation, the Client can move forwards.


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For the Therapist

Establish a good working relationship

Negotiate a contract

Define problems

Make an assessment

Exploration

Prioritize and communicate


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Middles

Intense feelings of the past are described.

Feelings are described as an object not belonging to the client.

Feelings in the present occasionally seep through in thesessions. The client is distrustful and fearful about experiencingfeelings in the present. Some acceptance of feelings is felt bythe client.

There are the beginnings of how personal constructs have beenformed. An example is how humour is used as a defence.

Beginning of a realisation sometimes painful for the client ofincongruences between the facades presented to him/her selfand to the world (Rogers,1967)


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Middles

The organismic flow is increased.

Feelings expressed freely in the present and they areclose to being fully experienced.

The client is fearful and distrustful of experiencing themfully.

The client shows an awareness to feeling and ownership

of feelings increases but are not fully owned.

The client is frightened of feeling that emerge(Rogers,1967)


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Middles

Emerging Desire to be real me.

Client begins to experience that they can be what they feel.

One of Rogers Clients stated "I came here to solve problems, now I find

myself just experiencing myself.

The client realises that they can turn towards their emotions at any timeand they recognise their own defensive personal constructs that preventthem for looking at their emotions.

The client strives towards an exactness of describing emotions.

There is an increased awareness of contradictions and incongruences. Forexample a client describing that they know they are a worthwhile personbut deep down they may not as yet fully believe this (Rogers,1967)


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For the Therapist

Maintaining the relationship with UPR

Working to contract

Problems are reassessed

Tentatively offering a challenge where appropriate

May offer minimal self disclosure (Colley, 1991)


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Endings

The client has experienced feelings of stuckness there isa shift and the client now experiences feelings to their fullaffect and richness in the present moment.

Feelings are accepted not to be denied feared orstruggled against.

The self is the feeling in the present moment the personlooses the notion of there own perception of themselves.

There are physiological effects, muscle loosening andimproved circulation that very often is irreversible.


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The client has glimpses of congruency and at these moments theyexperience being set free from their personal constructs andframework.

These moments serve as a reference point to the client that they

can return to at any time.

Client needs little assistance from the therapist as they have seenglimpses of congruency a yearn to be their real self.

Feelings are experienced with immediacy and richness within thetherapeutic relationship and outside of it.

There is a growing sense of ownership and trust in the organismicprocess, grabbing emotional experiences as they pass by andexperiencing the newness of the feeling rather than it beingconstructed in past experiences.


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Endings

The client has a reflexive awareness of experiencing and theprevious character.

Constructs validated against further experience. For example aclient could describe that they had a bitterness about their childhood experiences and at the end of the therapeutic process whenthe look back the have an understanding of how their experiencehas constructed them as a person and they now have anopportunity to correct their mistakes.

There is awareness shown by the client that they have a choice of

new ways of being.

The client can now flow living in the process and motion of feelings.

Client communicates freely with others.


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For the Therapist

Recognising the ending of the therapeutic relationship

What is the appropriate change

Implement the transfer of learning

goal setting, action planning, evaluation

satisfactory conclusion of the contract


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Conclusions

The client has got behind the mask.

The client experiences feeling.

The discovery of the true self

Trust in ones organism

The client has developed trust in their locus evaluation.


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Conclusions

Rogers approach is difficult to quantify in terms of each

therapuetic factor but clearly effective.

Notion of integrating ideal self and real self are pivotal in

improving Clients quality of life.

The therapeutic relationship is the key factor in holding theclient while they are experiencing their potential self.

Of paramount importance for the Therapist is their ownUPR, genuineness and empathy.

pct presentation wilma

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