What is the Person-Centred Approach?

Non-directive, client-centered, and person-centered. These are terms used to describe the
therapeutic approach developed by Carl Rogers.

The Person-Centred Approach developed from the work of the psychologist Dr. Carl Rogers
(1902 1987). He advanced an approach to psychotherapy and counselling that, at the time
(1940s 1960s), was considered extremely radical if not revolutionary.

Rogers described it as non-directive therapy because it was the therapists task to follow the
clients lead. Rather than the therapist directing the course of therapy by using interpretative
methods or reinforcement schedules to derive solutions for the patient, Rogers turned the
notion of the therapist as the expert upside down. The therapist followed the client, helping them
to uncover their own solutions. This idea of non-directive therapy was a direct challenge to the
then dominant therapist-directed approaches of psychoanalysis and behaviorism.

Almost a decade after his 1942 book on counseling and psychotherapy, in 1951 Rogers
published Client-Centered Therapy, in which he presented his more refined ideas. Most notably,
Rogers had replaced the term non-directive with the term client-centered.

Essentially, the terms non-directive and client-centered refer to opposite sides of the same coin.
But whereas non-directive refers to what it is the therapist aspires not to do, that is to
challenge the clients agency over their own feelings and perceptions, the term client-
centered refers to what the therapist aspires to do, which is to support the agency of the client
and go with their direction in terms of understanding what hurts and what is needed.

Over the subsequent years, Rogers began to apply his ideas derived from client-centered
therapy in other contexts, such as education, conflict resolution, and encounter groups. In order
to recognize the broader applicability of his approach the term person-centered came to replace
the term client-centered, as the term client would not be fitting for many of these other contexts.
As such, person-centered is the term widely used today to describe the applications of the
approach

Originally described as non-directive, this therapy moved away from the idea that the therapist
was the expert and towards a theory that trusted the innate tendency (known as the actualizing
tendency) of human beings to find fulfilment of their personal potentials. An important part of this
theory is that in a particular psychological environment, the fulfilment of personal potentials
includes sociability, the need to be with other human beings and a desire to know and be known
by other people. It also includes being open to experience, being trusting and trustworthy, being
curious about the world, being creative and compassionate.

The psychological environment described by Rogers was one where a person felt free from
threat, both physically and psychologically. This environment could be achieved when being in a
relationship with a person who was deeply understanding (empathic), accepting (having
unconditional positive regard) and genuine (congruent).
Although initially developed as an approach to psychotherapy (eventually becoming known as
client/person-centred therapy/counselling), Rogers and his colleagues came to believe that their
ideas could be transferred to other areas where people were in relationships. For example
teaching, management, childcare, patient care, conflict resolution.

Today there are many people who, although not working as psychotherapists and counsellors,
use the work of Rogers as guiding principles in their day-to-day work and relationships.

At one level, Rogers' theory and work is very simple to describe. As many people would attest,
both those using the approach and those working as person-therapists/counsellors, it can be
very difficult to put into practice because the approach does not use techniques but relies on the
personal qualities of the therapist/person to build a non-judgemental and empathic relationship.

Person-centered theory has become one of the most popular theories of counseling and
therapy since it developed in the 1940s. The theory offered a distinct alternative to the
behavioral and psychoanalytic theories that dominated psychology at the time. Rogers later
broadened the concepts of the process and renamed it client-centered to de-emphasize the
nondirective nature and emphasize a full understanding of all the client's dimensions. The
person-centered concept evolved as issues relating to equality of participants in the relationship
and a focus on the positive health of people became significant issues as opposed to a more
unhealthy client status.

Person-centered theory makes possible the expansion of helping situations. Originally

developed as an individual process, it has since become a major group theory. This group focus
has expanded into concepts popular in education. Rogers' most recent work emphasized the
same concepts as ways of dealing with international conflict resolution in an emphasis on
promoting world peace.

Person-centered theory places great emphasis on the individual's ability to move in positive
directions. Practitioners of the theory have a belief in the trustworthiness of individuals and in
their innate ability to move toward self-actualization and health when the proper conditions are
in place. Tied to these beliefs is the confidence that individuals also have the inner resources to
move themselves in such positive directions. Finally, a core concept in the theory states that
individuals perceive the world in a unique phenomenological way so that no two people's
perceptions of the world are the same.

The perception of clients as competent, trustworthy, and forward-moving people who have their
own unique view of the world places great confidence in the individual's ability to control his/her
own positive change. This confidence in the client directs the counselor to provide the
conditions for that change. Specifically, there are three basic conditions needed to support
an individual's natural inclination for positive growth: a genuine relationship with a relatively
congruent individual, acceptance and caring from the counselor, and an accurate understanding
on the part of the counselor of the client's phenomenological world.
Clients who are provided with these growth conditions will realize their actualizing tendencies for
growth. They will explore their difficulties and natural competencies in this productive
environment, which will then lead to a clearer picture of themselves and their potential. As
clients' pictures of themselves become more accurate, they become better able to act in ways
that are most in line with their true self (congrue

The role of the counselor in person-centered theory is primarily to promote the conditions for
change rather than do things to bring about specific changes. Counselors and therapists are
expected to maintain a genuine human relationship in which they provide unconditional positive
regard to their clients. This demonstrates their faith in clients and support of the process. Much
of the work of the person-centered counselor revolves around developing an accurate empathic
understanding of a client, conveying that understanding to the person, and working with him to
expand and clarify the understanding and its impact on the client's choices and actions.

Rogers' work initiated much research on the helping relationship and client gain. The use of
taping and transcriptions to evaluate the necessary conditions of counseling and psychotherapy
received emphasis from research on this theory. A great deal of innovative research in the area
of clinical growth was also produced in the development of this theory. However, much of this
theory has been integrated into the overall body of the theory, and relatively little research is
currently being done in the area. Calls are being made for potential expansion of the theory and
research into its future development. Person-centered counseling and psychotherapy has given
much to the field, and professionals continue to emphasize the need for growth of the theory
rather than a stagnant use of the theory's many positive contribution

This non-directive approach sought to release the driving force within usto empower
individuals to achieve their full potential and become self-actualized. PCTs three core
therapeutic conditions and their transformations were: (1) congruence genuineness, (2)
unconditional positive regard acceptance and, (3) accurate empathy understanding. The social
worker's role is to assist clients achieve greater congruence between their real self, self-
concept, and ideal self. PCTs theoretical principles resonate directly with core values inherent in
social work's ethical standards. Carl Rogers has been hailed as on of the most influential
theorists and therapists in the 20th century.