Person Centered Theory

Chapter 5 Summary:

Person Centered Therapy founder is Carl Ransom Rogers. This theory revolves around an optimistic view of others and where the client leads the session. It is the job of the therapist to create a trustworthy environment so the client may lead the session. This theory is not very applicable cross-culturally and there is no assessment or diagnosis done by the therapist.

Area of interest

This applies to my position in Residence Life as a Graduate Hall Director. My office space is meant to be a trustworthy environment where students can come and speak their minds and whatever they maybe struggling with. At the same time, I am there to help the students with their problems and come up with solutions. However, I always try to do it in the manner in which the student comes up with the answer on their own and I am simply guiding them to it. It is more valuable to the student when they come up with the answer on their own rather than me just telling them.

Video:

Challenging clients to think about feelings:

In this video, the therapist is helping a client who is having a very difficult time discussing what is wrong. Despite the difficulty of the subject, the therapist is not bringing it up, showing the person centered style. The therapist is very careful to only mention things the client has already said. By doing this, the therapist is giving the client the power to guide the session.