Helping individuals to overcome struggles is the primary mandate that mental health professionals strive to fulfill. Using a wide range of tools, they work closely with patients in the quest for healing. Traditionally, the practitioners have served as experts who often impose their beliefs and approaches on patients. While this framework could deliver positive outcomes, it limits patient involvement. It reduces the patient to a mere recipient of care and fails to recognize that patients have a critical role to play in the treatment and healing process. To address the shortcomings of the traditional approach, new solutions have been developed. These solutions are based on innovative approaches that empower patients to participate actively in therapy. Among these fresh approaches is person-centered therapy. Thanks to its focus on the needs of patients, person-centered therapy has redefined the relationship between practitioners and their patients.
Developer
Before delving into the features and integration of person-centered therapy into practice, it is essential to begin with an examination of its roots. In particular, there is a need to focus on the individual who developed this approach. Carl Rogers receive credit for laying the foundation for person-centered therapy (Bower, 2011). Rogers was deeply dissatisfied with the approaches that were being implemented in interactions among patients and their practitioners. In particular, he felt that the profession needed to abandon attitudes that disregarded the agency of patients. According to Rogers, person-centered approach would enable practitioners to engage in an interaction defined by “interested affection” that yields satisfaction for patients (Bower, 2011). In essence, Rogers was convinced that if therapy was to have an effect on patients, it needed to focus on needs and leverage the skills, competencies and experiences of the patient.
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History
Now that light has been shed on how Rogers set the stage for the person-centered approach, the discussion can now proceed to explore the history of this therapy. On its website, the Association for the Development of the Person Centered Approach (ADPCA) offers an insightful outline of the history of person-centered therapy. According to this organization, this approach can be traced to the 1940s. During this period, Freudian principles and beliefs dominated psychotherapy (“History”, n.d). While they enabled professionals to understand the dynamics of mental health, the Freudian principles were rather impractical. As the ADPCA reports, this creates an appetite for a new approach that placed focus on practicality and promised to help practitioners better understand and respond to the needs of their numbers. The person-centered approach offered much-needed alternative for practitioners who found the Freudian approach to be rather inadequate and ineffective.
In a previous section, the establishment of the person-centered therapy has been attributed to Rogers. A full understanding of this therapy can be gained through a look at some of the initiatives that he pursued and the milestones that he achieved as he promoted the therapy. The ADPCA reports that during his time at the Rochester Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Rogers found the ideal opportunity to refine his theory and perspectives regarding the person-centered approach (“History”, n.d). Through the 1960s and 1970s, Rogers continued to sensitize the mental health fraternity on the person-centered approach. Using such platforms as workshops and literature, he was able to push for the acceptance of this approach. The history of person-centered approach was shaped by other theories such as existentialism. This approach recognized the significance of values like freedom, choice and self-actualization (Sharf, 2015). Today, the person-centered approach has gained acceptance and common application. Thanks to the influence of Rogers, practitioners now recognize the importance of encouraging patients to participate actively in therapy.
Description of Theory
In their text, Tudor, and Worrall perfectly summarize the essence of person centered approach. They state that “person-centered therapy is based on an organismic psychology which describes the innate and unforced tendency of human beings, given a conducive environment, to actualize their potential” (p. 1). This characterization captures the basic elements of the therapy. There are a number of beliefs, perspectives and values that underlie the person-centered approach to therapy. Among these is the concept of self-actualization (Wilkins, 2009). Essentially, person-centered therapy is based on the understanding that humans have a natural desire to become the best versions of themselves. Humans wish to fulfill their dreams and many work tirelessly to accomplish goals and derive fulfillment from their work. The person-centered approach encourages practitioners to leverage the desire for self-actualization to help their patients to resolve the issues that they are grappling with. Another concept that underlies the therapy concerns conditions of worth (Wilkins, 2009). Basically, the conditions of worth refer to the realities and resources that must exist for individuals to develop a sense of personal value, confidence and esteem. For example, in order for children to develop into self-confident individuals with high esteem, they need affirmation and positive reinforcement.
As opposed to traditional therapy which imposes standard interventions, person-centered therapy acknowledges that each individual processes experiences differently (Wilkins, 2009). Furthermore, this therapy recognizes that one patient has a unique outlook on their world and that their perspective is significantly different from that of the next patient. In essence, person-centered approach places focus on tailored interventions that respond directly to the unique experiences and perspectives of individual patients. Another issue that defines the person-centered therapy is its goal of helping patients to become fully-functioning individuals (Wilkins, 2009). When they embrace this approach, practitioners endeavor to help their patients to be more receptive of new experiences and derive meaning and a sense of fulfilment from their lives.
Techniques
When they integrate the person-centered approach into their engagements with patients, practitioners rely on a number of techniques that accompany this approach. Among the techniques used includes challenging the client to define the direction of therapy. For example, as Sharf (2015) indicates in his text, practitioners allow the patients to determine the length of therapy sessions and when to terminate the therapy. This has an empowering effect on the patient as it allows them to exercise some control and make important decisions. Another technique that accompanies person-centered therapy is empathy. The practitioner strives to understand and works tirelessly address all the needs of the patient. This approach also demands that the practitioner should be genuine in interactions with the patient. Regular and frequent contact between the therapist and the patient is another technique that is often adopted by practitioners who have adopted patient-centered therapy (Sharf, 2015). For example, it would not be surprising for a therapist to meet with their patient at least once a week for weeks, months or even years. Overall, person-centered approach involves techniques whose aim is to enable the patient to exercise choice, and freedom and to be actively involved in the treatment process.
In closing, person-centered therapy has emerged to become among the most preferred philosophies for treating patients. This approach was developed by Carl Rogers who believed that practitioners need to focus their efforts on helping patients to direct the treatment process. Furthermore, Rogers felt that therapists should also seek to understand the needs of their patients. They should then develop interventions that are tailored to address these needs. Other therapists have developed on Rogers’ ideas and have enabled the person-centered approach to gain mainstream status. Given that it aims to empower patients, this approach is likely to be embraced by even more practitioners. If they truly seek to guide their patients in the journey toward healing, practitioners should base their interventions on the person-centered therapy approach.
References
Bower, D. W. (2011). Revising the person-centered approach: pushing the envelope, but not very hard. Indiana: iUniverse.
History. (n.d). The Association for the Development of the Person Centered Approach. Retrieved May 1, 2019 from https://www.adpca.org/content/history-0
Sharf, R. S. (2015). Theories of psychotherapy & counseling: concepts and cases. 6 th Edition. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Tudor, K., & Worrall, M. (2006). Person-centered therapy: a clinical philosophy. London: Routledge.
Wilkins, P. (2009). Person-centered therapy: 100 key points. London: Routledge.
