Carl Rogers

Presented by Julianna Braley

 Early Background

1919
1902 Enrolled as an agriculture major
1926
Born January 8, 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois
Started at University of Columbia to study masters teaching program

1914 1924
Moved to a rural area at 12 Received degree in history 1931
Earned a Ph.D in clinical psychology
Career

- Worked in academia at Ohio State University, the University of Chicago, and

the University of Wisconsin
- Wrote 19 books in addition to other journals
- Formed the Center for Studies of the Person
- Was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987.
Humanistic Psychology

Carl Rogers was one of the founding fathers of humanistic psychology

Humanistic Psychology differed from previous approaches in psychology in that:

- The person is appreciated as a whole that cannot be dwindled down to labels

- The idea of consciousness is considered
- If each human is conscious, this would mean that their reality was in fact reality
from their view point.
- As conscious beings, humans have the freedom of choice
Ideal self vs. Self Image

Ideal Self:

- Who we wish to be. Imagine yourself as the best version of you. What would
this person look like? How would they act? What would they accomplish?

Self Image:

- How we see ourselves. How do you actually see yourself? What beliefs do you
hold about yourself? What do you actually do? What do you actually look like?
Etc.
Self-Actualization

- We all want to achieve our highest potential.

- This could be compared to a flower attempting to grow as high as it possibly can
given its environment and DNA.

Self Actualization occurs when:

Our “ideal self” is in alignment with our “self image”. The further one’s ideal self
is away from their self-image, the more that person is predicted to “act out”.
The Good Life

- Is NOT a defined way of living

- A way of living that works and feels good to the individual.

“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination”

-Carl Rogers
The Fully Functioning Person

The fully functioning person is one who is in touch with themselves and continuously
growing. One that is self-actualizing

The five characteristics include:

1. Openness to experience
2. Existential Living
3. Trust Feelings
4. Creativity
5. Fulfilled Life
Client-Centered Therapy

- The person is treated with respect, as if the therapist and client are approaching the situation from
differing but equal view points.
- A therapist is more of a guide, walking through someone’s reality with them.
- Phenomenal Field: The idea that priority is given to what a person understands to be true, rather
than what actually is true.

Rogers Quotes:
- “To do therapy, the therapist must “. . .genuinely accept [the client’s] feelings, fully accept the person who is
experiencing them and, at the same time to accept his or her own feeling that the other’s behavior are disliked or
unacceptable." “
- “Awareness is subjective and personal. People cannot see that which is inconsistent with their overall experience
of reality—both the reality of the world and of themselves. This "private world" "can only be known, in any
genuine or complete sense, to the individual himself."”
Unconditional Positive Regard

- The idea of accepting others without judgement or fear.

- Rather than making a judgement as to what a person “should have done”,
coming to acceptance with where a person is.
- Offering acceptance of where someone currently is, acceptance of their
previous actions.
Take Away

What we can take away from Carl Rogers’s work:

- Living in congruence with our ideal self and self concept can lead to feelings of
peace and fulfillment
- Approaching others with an unconditional positive regard can encourage their
growth and form more open relationships.
- We never truly can understand any other person’s reality, for we all have our
own perceptions. We can only attempt to understand another’s world and offer
unconditional positive regard.
References
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Who Was Psychologist Carl Rogers? Retrived from https://www.verywellmind.com/carl-rogers-biography-1902-1987-2795542

Kaufman, S. B. (2018). There Is No One Way to Live a Good Life. (cover story). Scientific American Mind, 29(7), 24.

McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/carl-rogers.html

Revisiting Carl Rogers Theory of Personality. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://journalpsyche.org/revisiting-carl-rogers-theory-of-personality/

Rogers, C. R., Dorfman, E., Hobbs, N., & Gordon, T. (1951). Client-centered therapy. London: Constable.