Carl Rogers and Person-Centred Therapy: Empowering Individual Potential
Carl Rogers, a significant figure in psychology, developed his theory of personality from his experiences working with disturbed adolescents. Unlike Freud, Rogers rejected the idea that the early years of life dictate adult development, emphasising instead that individuals have agency over their own lives, as opposed to Freud’s deterministic view of development.
Rogers’ approach to therapy was termed “client-centred therapy,” reflecting his belief in the power of individuals to shape their own lives. Unlike his predecessors who referred to those who came for therapy as “patients,” Rogers chose the term “client,” signifying his view of a more equal relationship between therapist and individual. This approach later evolved into “person-centred therapy,” indicating an even more neutral relationship with the client and the agency one had over their own life.
Like Maslow, Rogers frequently emphasised the individual’s innate potential for growth, paralleling Maslow’s concept of self-actualisation. Rogers believed that everyone possesses a natural drive towards fulfilling their potential, which he saw as the core motivating force in humans. In Rogers’ view, psychological health is maintained as long as one’s drive towards growth is not obstructed. Any blockage to this natural tendency would lead to psychological issues, in Rogers’ view.
Another one of Rogers’ ideas was the distinction between the “real self” and the “self-concept.” The real self represents our inherent potential, akin to our genetic blueprint, for what we could become under ideal conditions. The self-concept, however, is our self-perception developed through socialisation, reflecting how others view and evaluate us.
Rogers saw humans as social beings who crave positive regard from others. He introduced the concept of “unconditional positive regard,” where an individual is accepted and valued simply for being themselves. Rogers noted that such unconditional acceptance is rare and that most people experience conditional positive regard, where acceptance is based on meeting certain expectations imposed by others. This then leads to “conditions of worth,” which are internalised standards dictating that we must behave in certain ways to be valued. Rogers argued that these conditions can skew our natural growth drive, causing us to pursue things that please others but don’t fulfil our true needs, thus hindering self-actualisation.
Rogers believed that a mismatch between our real self and our self-concept contributes to feelings of dissatisfaction and potential psychological distress. He claimed that to achieve self-actualisation, there must be congruence between the real self and the self-concept, which is only achievable through environments that offer unconditional positive regard and support creativity, curiosity, and self-reliance. He advocated for educational and familial environments that fostered these qualities, suggesting that such settings set the foundation for psychological health and creativity.
The Montessori education model is an example of an environment that has drawn inspiration from Carl Rogers and his view on human personality and behaviour. In these learning environments, there is a student-centred teaching and learning approach that prioritises trust, non-judgement, and democratic principles that enable children to stay true to themselves and make choices that align with their genuine interests.