Person-centered theory
Goal: "To affirm and empower people so that they have enough trust and confidence in themselves to make use of their inner resources" (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014, p. 149).
Basic Principles of Person-Centered Theory
Humanism
Humanism
- Carl Roger's ideas embody the humanistic perspective
- He perceived people as strong and capable and trusted their ability to handle their difficulties, grow and develop, and realize their potential
Human Potential and Actualization
- Human Potential: People's natural inclination toward actualization, growth, and health.
- Actualizing: a universal tendency, although each person's self-actualization efforts are unique as they strive to master ongoing challenges
- Roger's believed that people need the right conditions to enable them to evolve in holistic and unified ways (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014, p.149)
Conditions of Worth
- Children's self-concepts are shaped through interactions with important people in their lives and the messages they receive from those people
- Depending on the condition or environment a child is raised, positive or negative, future growth will be effected
- Children typically internalize the criticisms they receive, perceiving aspect of themselves as worthy or unworthy
Organismic Valuing Process
- It is spontaneous
- Organismic valuing process (OVP): a person's intuitive ability to know what they need in order to feel fulfilled and self-actualized
- Confusion occurs when a person's valuing process conflicts with the need for approval
- The need for love and acceptance is lifelong; it is first experiences with parents and other caregivers and later with friends, partners, peers, and society in general.
The Fully Functioning Person
- "The person comes to be what he is . . .in awareness as well as in experience, a complete and fully functioning human organism" (Rogers, 1961, p.104-105)
- Personality dimensions that are characteristic of the fully functioning person:
- Openness to experience
- Living with a sense of meaning and purpose
- Trust and congruence in self
- Unconditional positive self-regard and regard of others
- Internal locus of evaluation
- Being fully aware in the moment
- Living creatively (Rogers, 1959)
Phenomenological Perspective
- Choices we make in our lives stem from our perceptions, we are, in effect, the focus of our universe
- Each person exists at the center of a constantly changing world of experience
- Each person reacts to life events in a way that is consistent with their own reality
(Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014, p. 146-152)