DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING
Person Centred Counselling Theory and Practice
3,000 Word Assignment
Person Centred Theory and Practice Assumes: It is Necessary that Two
People are in Psychological Contact.
This assignment introduces some of the Rogerian fundamental principles of person-centred personality theory, thus forming backdrop for the consideration of the three core-conditions required for successful therapeutic alliance. The main thrust of the assignment looks at the first of the six preconditions for personality change, i.e. ‘two persons are in psychological contact’. A number of observations are provided that were demonstrated in a recent seminar presentation that can guide the counsellor towards some recognition of the
Positive regard may be unconditional or conditional on the individual behaving in particular ways. Conditions of worth relate to the persons belief that they are ‘worthy’ only if acting in the desired manner. Such conditions of worth can be self-imposed as well as imposed by others and can act against self-actualisation. Empathy is a dimension, which should be possessed by the counsellor in relation to the client. This is a component that requires an aptitude for truly comprehending the client in a profound sense. Often this capacity is described as the counsellor’s ability to stand in the client’s shoes and observe surroundings as the client observes them, and to enter their picture of their world. By entering the spirit of their world the counsellor enters their frame of reference (Carver & Scheier, 1996; Hough, 1994; McLeod,
1998).
Rogers’ first precept requires that ‘two persons are in psychological contact’.
In normal circumstances, even when the client is depressed or severely anxious one can assume that there will be a basic psychological interaction betwixt counsellor and client. However there will be clients who present for therapy who will have one or more major impediments in functioning as a social being. Such prospective clients might have been wounded by life experience, perhaps acutely anxious, institutionalised, influenced by psychotropic medicines, suffering cognitive malfunction because of brain damage or