Psychology Person Centered Theory

The Emergence of Person Centered Counseling:

Person centered counseling emerged in a time that Psychoanalysis along with Behavioral Therapy dominated the current times.   In the United States it was a time when Social concerns and people's thinking were changing.   The answer was to be a more Humanistic oriented type of theory that focused more on the client (Cappuzzi & Gross, 2007).
Carl Rogers was the founding father of Person Centered Counseling. In the 1940's Rogers was working with children's issues in New York. A speech that he gave at the University of Minnesota titled "New concepts in psychotherapy" in 1940 marked the beginning of a new type of Therapy (McLeod, 2009). As with other types of Therapy Theory PCT has its own unique set of principles and guide lines that make it what it is. These broadly are respect, equality, and authenticity directed towards the client. It was also coined as "Non-directed" therapy whereby the client was not directed toward any kind of specific behavior (Cherry, Unknown).   The therapist would show the client "unconditional positive regard" and create an atmosphere where there was no judgment and genuineness between both therapist and client. This establishment of an intensely personal relationship would hopefully allow the client to trust the therapist thereby opening up themself and allowing for a genuine introspection and eventual change in their thoughts and behavior. It was the job of the therapist to facilitate this relationship by the actions of total genuineness and caring about the client (Rogers, 1961). The Therapist in this relationship is very much a type of guide if you will helping the client to find his way to the inner self, (self-actualization) all the while the therapist also looking within his inner self to promote the caring relationship as much as possible. (Cappuzzi & Gross, 2007)   I personally would describe this as a sort of an intricate dance of emotions ebbing and flowing. It is a warm sincere...