Reflections of a Burgeoning Person-Centered Therapist: Foundation Critique

 

    I sense that my theoretical orientation will continue to evolve, particularly as I take more systems-based classes such as family therapy. While I see value in focusing on the role of the individual in mental health problem development and treatment, it seems that this is a short-sighted and less than holistic approach. With that said, while I am still early in my professional development and theoretical orientation, there are life experiences that have led me to gravitate towards particular orientations.

I began my graduate education in counseling psychology with the following idea; that all humans are born with the capacity to grow and evolve into psychologically and physically functional beings, if given the right environment. From a physiological standpoint a child requires that his basic needs for shelter, food and water, and physical safety be met in order for normal growth and development to occur. I contended that what was often neglected in modern culture are a child’s psychological needs. These needs include the following. 1) Emotional safety, which is the need for emotional vulnerability while acting authentically. 2) Loving attention, which is the need to be non-judgmentally focused upon when engaging in relationship with others. 3) Validation, which is the need to have one’s inner experience accepted by others even if said others do not agree with one’s inner experience. These basic premises were established by my personal life experiences and continue to be the foundation of my therapeutic orientation, along with some expanded ideas and clarifications.

Person-Centered Theory as a Foundation

If I had to choose just one theory, currently I would choose Person-Centered theory as the foundation by which I conceptualize client presenting problems. There are several ideas in Carl Rogers’ theory that drive me to this decision. First, I agree that humans are born essentially “good” with the innate propensity to evolve towards what Rogers would call self-actualization. Secondly, I agree that humans are endowed with an inner processing system that enables us to understand what we desire and what we would like to pursue.

As Rogers proposes, this organismic sensing, is cultivated in children by the unconditional positive regard received by their caregivers. When this unconditional positive regard is received, the inner processing system develops and the individual begins to trust their inner most yearnings, which lead them to self-actualization. Furthermore, through the process of receiving unconditional positive regard, I agree that children learn to positively regard themselves without conditions and thus develop and maintain an authentic/true-to-life concept of self.  I also agree that problems develop when an individual receives conditional positive regard in his formative years, and therefore never learns to trust his own inner instincts and thus behaves in inauthentic ways that gain him conditional positive regard.

We can see the effects of conditional positive regard in our public education system which rewards students for assimilated behaviors that may not be in alignment with their own inner desires. As Rogers contends, and I agree, children who behave inauthentically to receive positive regard, lose touch with themselves and their self-concept becomes disorganized. This disorganized self-concept lacks in unconditional self-positive regard and fails to become, what Rogers calls a Fully Functioning Person.

I am drawn to Rogers’ theory because in essence it inspires hope and emphasizes compassion, empathy, optimism, and the necessity of relationships. My personal view is that supportive relationships mitigate the inevitable struggles that present in our lives. Current research supports this idea that strong support networks buffer the negative effects of life’s stressors, even in individuals with chronic and/or terminal illness (Wiesmaierova et al., 2018).

Additionally, as my interest is in family therapy, I believe that the first place that humans learn to support one another is in their immediate family. Within the context of the family, a child learns several things. First, she learns that she is not alone and that she is a part of a system that supports her development. Second, a child learns that he is viewed as valuable just because he exists, not because he has done anything to make himself worthy of value or love. These are two Person-Centered principles that if explicitly and implicitly learned in childhood would create a society in which all humans are valued just because they are human and that collectiveness and cohesion is the solution to many of life’s catastrophes.

I am also very much drawn to Rogers’ idea of self-actualization. I admit this term was one of the first psychology terms that stuck in my mind as an undergraduate student. I appreciate the draw towards evolution and continued learning throughout the life span. This concept motivates individuals towards self-progress and psychological maturity. Furthermore, Rogers emphasized that fully functioning persons were not only concerned with their responsibility to self, but they were also concerned and motivated by their responsibilities to others. In some ways, Rogers saw his own process of becoming a more congruent, accepting and understanding person as a way to help others do the same. This, I believe is a beneficial perspective for individuals to understand themselves.

More reflections on therapy to come in future blog posts!

Until next time,

Keya

NOTE: I am not a licensed mental health provider or counseling psychologist (yet). I am a graduate student, and as such the information offered on my website and social media platforms are informed by research, personal and professional experience, and education, however, are not designed to provide advice (be it treatment advice or educational advice). All content is for informational and educational purposes only.

References:

Wiesmaierova, S., Petrova, D., Moreno, A. A., Catera, A., Hernandez, J.A.R., & Garcia-Retamero, R. (2018). Social support buffers the negative effects of stress in cardiac patients: A cross-sectional study with acute coronary syndrome patients. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 42, 469-479.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-018-9998-4.