Carl Rogers was an American psychologist who developed humanistic psychology and the person-centered approach to therapy. He was born in 1902 in Illinois and had a lonely childhood. Rogers believed that all humans have an innate drive for self-actualization and that unconditional positive regard is necessary for development. He saw the self as constantly evolving based on experiences and proposed that congruence between the ideal self and actual self leads to mental health, while incongruence causes anxiety. Rogers developed non-directive client-centered therapy which focuses on reflecting feelings and letting the client guide discussion to come to their own conclusions.

1. Humanistic School
Carl Ransom Rogers (1902-1987)
•Born in 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois.
•He was the 4th
in a family of 6 children.
•Family with strict and uncompromising
religious principles.
•Lonely boyhood.

2. •After graduation, entered Union Theological
Seminary in New York city.
•Took Doctorate degree in 1928 (Rochester
University).
•Lecturer of psychology at the University of
Zurich.
•Senior psychiatrist at the Psychiatric Clinic
in Switzerland.
•Started Counseling centre at Chicago
University.

3. Major Concepts
1.Human beings are basically good.
2.All creatures strive to make the very
best of their existence- everyone has
the potential for self-actualization.
(The built-in motivation present in every
life form to develop its potentials to the
fullest extent possible.

4. 3. This development (actualization) can only
be achieved through “Unconditional Positive
Regard”.
 Each person has a need for Unconditional
Positive Regard = acceptance, respect,
sympathy and love regardless of their
performance.
Most people receive conditional positive
regard = acceptance only for doing what
parent or society insists upon: the person is
valued for what he/she does, nor for who is
she or he.

5.  Messages that we give to ourselves
have a strong impact.
 You are stupid!
 Unconditional positive--- winner
 Negative --- loser
5

6. The Humanistic Tradition:The Humanistic Tradition:
Carl RogersCarl Rogers
 The Motive to Self-Actualize
 Main Beliefs
 Actualization
 Self-actualization
 Fully-functioning person
 Positive Regard

7. 3. This development (actualization) can only
be achieved through “Unconditional Positive
Regard”.
Structure of Personality
Organism Self

8. Organism: represents the totality of
experiences a person has had so far ( Both
conscious and un-conscious).
Symbolized Unsymbolized
The Self: Self is the concept a person has of
himself/herself. The awareness of being, of
functioning. Self is not stable.
The Ideal Self Actual Self

9. Rogers as a “Self” TheoristRogers as a “Self” Theorist
 How perspectives on the Self can interact
 Congruence of Self
 Incongruence of Self

10. Congruence vs. IncongruenceCongruence vs. Incongruence
 Congruence of “Self”
 Occurs when ideal self and actual self are
similar – when you are whom you want to be
 Occurs when actual self and real self are
similar – when you act like the person you
know yourself to be
 Both achieved by self-actualization and result
in a fully functioning person

11. Congruence vs. IncongruenceCongruence vs. Incongruence
 Incongruence of “Self”
 Caused by a mismatch of ideal/actual
selves or actual/real selves
 Caused by ‘conditions of worth’
 Leads to anxiety
 Defenses enacted to protect Self from
this anxiety

12. Self-concept & its congruence with real self.
Real
Self
Self
Concept
Maladjusted
(Self-concept is not congruent with
reality)
Adjusted
(So much of overlapping between
self-concept & real self)
Non-directive counseling, non-directive
teaching, satisfactions of needs and
unconditional positive regard will lead to
self-actualization.
Self
Concept
Real
Self

13. Rogerian Client-CenteredRogerian Client-Centered
TherapyTherapy
 Focus on the client’s topics of
discussion
 Clarify feelings
 Restatement of content
 Client is responsible for therapy’s
progress and coming to own
conclusions, solving own problems