Rogers's Person-Centered Therapy

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Valita Johnson Rogers’ Person-Centered Therapy Carl Rogers’ theory of personality focuses on the tendency to actualize one’s inherent potentialities. The notion of self or self-concept is central to his theory. The self-concept is composed of self-worth, self-image, and ideal self. Childhood experiences and approval or disapproval of others helps to shape one’s self-concept. The goal is to reach one’s highest potential at the highest level. But for that to occur who you are and who you would like to be must match up. Because the need for positive regard is so significant, not receiving it leads one to disregard some truths about oneself. This need for unconditional positive regard will result in a maladjusted personality in the quest for approval from significant others in one’s life. The maladjusted person will conform to what others say or do and stifle his or her own creativity to gain the approval of others. He or she is on the defense and hides his/her true self for fear of not being liked or accepted. This results from the extreme sensitivity to the opinion and approval of others. The goal of therapy is to get the patient to understand the importance of reaching his or her inherent potentialities without regard of others. The patient must understand that is the key to becoming a fully functional human being. It is imperative to seek happiness from within versus being overly concerned about the opinions of others. To reach one’s inherent potentialities, one cannot live in fear or according to preconceived plans or ideas of others. He or she has to be his/ her own person, expressing his/her own ideas, and doing what he/she wants to without conforming to the standards and belief of others. Ultimately, one must realize his/her uniqueness, build self-confidence, and not be afraid to go against the grain. To do this one must be willing to do something different
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