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PERSON CENTERED COUNSELING.
  Term Paper ID:30177
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Goal of the person-centered approach.... More...
10 Pages / 2250 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Goal of the person-centered approach. Assisting clients in their growth process rather than just solving problems. Discusses what it means to be human; a description of a healthy person; the nature vs. nurture controversy. The nature of reality and the self. The counseling focus. Discusses various theories and therapeutic approaches.

Paper Introduction:
THE NATURE OF LIFE, HUMAN BEINGS, AND COUNSELING This research paper presents a discussion about life, human beings, and counseling, with specific emphasis on person- centered counseling. The following topics will be included in the presentation: the nature of reality, what it means to be human, a description of a healthy person, the nature versus nurture controversy, counseling focus, and person-centered counseling. Citations will be used to reflect the author's view.

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In these instances, this type of focus would beincompatible. References Bruce, D. Studies ofdifferent cultural tendencies regarding emotions show thatdifferent types of cultures yielded different outcomes. Thenagain these concepts are also based on the individual'sdefinition, that has/been formulated within a social context.Despite the confusion regarding the nature of reality or how toknow reality, or indeed whether it can ever be known, a typicalbelief within the mental health arena, is that healthy peopleneed to have a firm grasp on reality. This discipline focuses on the clientaccepting responsibility and utilizing their capacity to learnnew ways to deal with reality. It has alsobeen concluded (researchers convened by the AmericanPsychological Association) that by late adolescence heritabilityis about .75. Freud believed thatfriendly and positive feelings toward a therapist led to thebasis for a therapeutic partnership or working alliance. Dickens, W. Rose, E. Thusin a situation that lacks differential reproduction patterns,which is the main explanation for genetic changes, the IQ haschanged significantly. Again,each discipline attempts to explain what a healthy person lookslike. E., & Corbett, M. The goal is to assist the client with theunderstanding of their own reality and comparing it with thenorm. To allow for thischanging process, or for counseling to be beneficial, certainelements are essential for the counseling relationship. Theseinclude unconditional positive regard and acceptance, congruenceand genuineness, and accurate empathic understanding (Corey,1991) .The goal of counseling is to provide an atmosphere inwhich the client will b able to reach his or her own goals.With this intent, it is hope that the client will be free todetermine what the cause of their unhappiness is, what theywould like to change, a d implement these changes. Time passes and changes the environment and the truth.Knowledge cannot be defined with relation to a particular point,since this point passes, therefore knowledge can at best begained if captured within a continuum. Thus theclient will have change from one who was stuck in some sense,resulting in distress enough to lead them to a counselingsituation, to one who is no longer stuck. The author concluded that cognitive and motivationalstrategies are employed by each individual, that determine theirmental state. He opposedthe belief that people were untrustworthy and in need ofdirection, motivation, instruction, punishment, reward, control,or management by others who were more e:{pert. Counseling became centered on problemareas such as assertiveness, phobias, anxiety, parentaltraining, weight control, and other issues. History of Psychology, 1(1),69-84. Hull based his views on theenvironmental effects and Lashley gave more credence toheredity. deCarvalho, R. (1993). S., & Ansley, T. Within this context, itis argued that there is a reality but it must be defined as asubjective and negotiable concept. Schneider (2 1) points out that truth is not aprecise concept since it takes place in a social world wheremeaning is the creation of symbolic systems that are agreedupon. The following topics will be included inthe presentation: the nature of reality, what it means to behuman, a description of a healthy person, the nature versusnurture controversy, counseling focus, and person-centeredcounseling. Cognitive theorieswent a step further and considered internal events or thoughts,and their effect on behaviors. American Psychologist, 56(3), 239-249. A psychotherapist's lessons from thephilosophy of science. In this manner, dysfunctional beliefs can be challengedand new functional truths can be developed. Otto Rank, the Rankian circle inPhiladelphia, and the origins of Carl Rogers' Person-Centeredpsychotherapy. This growth willtake place as long as the therapeutic relationship is accepting,empathetic, and congruent. Description of a Healthy Person Some describe a healthy person as one who is in touch withreality, others describe a healthy person as a happy person.Since reality is not a fixed notion, and it is dependent on theindividual's perception, it may not serve as an accurate measureof healthiness. Theargument prevails, if there is no effect of environment on IQ,how is it that environmental factors have been shown to causesuch large differences. The role of cognitive motivational processes inwell-being. The debate revisited. Hull wasa connectionist and Lashley opposed this view. Rychlak, J. Counseling Focus The focus of counseling is dependent on the discipline.Early theories such as the behavioral theory of counselingfocused on behaviors. Snyder and Higgins (1997) point out that individualsdevelop and maintain their theories regarding reality and theself, based on their social interactions. When a client presents with symptoms that aredebilitating to a point which prohibits this type of self-responsibility, expecting them to do the impossible would not betherapeutic. Since each individual must learn toaccept responsibility for themselves, the assumption that eachhas the capacity to do so is an important and needed focus oftherapy. Carl Rogers believed that people are resourceful andable to direct themselves and live productive lives. Alternatively, unhappy people tend tolack self-esteem and optimism and are sensitive to socialcriticism. It is also hoped thatthe client will not only have learned to extricate themselvesfrom their current situation (whether it is an emotional state,dysfunctional relationship, etc.) but will have learned a newway of being, allowing for future application of new tools. What it means to be human may vary by culture. J. Rather than a set of techniques,this approach is describe as a way of being which revealshumanness and growth; a journey that is shared by the therapistand the client (Corey, 1991; deCarvalho, 1999) . Thus humans arefree, responsible, and determined or influenced by theirenvironment and experience; the human being has the inherentability to abandon learned dysfunctional behavior in favor ofpsychological health (Carey, 1991) . T., & Flynn, J.R. For Hull, eventsor stimulus and responses, were connected which resulted inlearning, for Lashley, learning included principles such asattention and Gestalt principles of perceptual organization.Bruce (1998) discusses these two theorists and concluded thattheir arguments about the structure and function of the brain,are based on the unresolved controversy regarding the role ofheredity versus environment. While the healthyindividual may need to be one who is in touch with reality, itis more important to note that the healthy and happy individualis one who is in touch with a reality that works for them. An individual can be happy and not at all intouch with another's reality. For example, Maslow studied healthy or self-actualizedpeople and determined that they experience love, creativity,joy, and peak experiences; these people welcome uncertainty andaccept themselves and others (Corey, 1991). If people aremachine-like, then to be healthy, they need more manipulation ofevents. Thus toknow reality is to determine it through many means, to includeobservation, experience, contemplation, revelations, opinions of experts,and interactions with others. Citations will be used to reflect the author'sview. Rather than making a choice between theories,the eclectic approach allows for the suitable use of eachtheory, drawing from aspects that are case appropriate. Psychoanalytic theory broughtmore than one new focus to include concepts such as unconsciousdrives, the id, ego, and superego, the influence of pastexperiences with behavioral and emotional outcomes, and theinfluence of the therapeutic relationship. For example Dutch gainsin IQ points between 1952 and 1982 are 2 points. L. (2 1).Spiritual issues in counseling and preferences. Snyder, C. While both can and do occur, the goal ofthe counseling relationship is to allow for change to take placewithin the individual or the relationship, which can then beutilized in other areas of the client's life. In search of realistic optimism,meaning, knowledge, and warm fuzziness. (2 1) Heritability estimates versuslarge environmental effects the IQ paradox resolved. (2 ). The Nature of Reality Reality is a concept that is difficult to define orexperience. (1991). Theperson-centered approach has a positive view of what it means tobe human. (2 1) .Why are some people happier thanothers? Psychological Review,1 8 (2), 346-369. Otherapproaches include the systems approach, interpersonal theories,and social influence theories, each with their own focus (Hill &Corbett, 1993). What it Means to be Human Humanity, as viewed by psychology, results from early viewsof the human as being mechanical. While each client presents a unique situation, whichdemands the use of an eclectic approach, the person centeredapproach can and must be utilized within all disciplines. Thus each culture, discipline, and individual determineswhat It means to be human, and what each person needs. While psychoanalytic and other theories view the changingprocess as occurring within the therapeutic relationship, to betransferred to the environment, change can occur outside therelationship as well. (1998). The client's perception of theworld is considered as is the belief that each individual willnaturally move toward psychological maturity. The existential belief however takes theposition all people face the anxiety of having to choose tocreate, in a world which lacks meaning, and the humanist statesthat each has a unique nature and potential that can beactualized to find meaning. History of Psychology, 2 (2), 132-148. (1999). The client's best interests must be considered,which may include referral to a more appropriate situation, orit may simply include the use of more directive approaches untila level of improvement has been reached such that the client ismore able to assume new levels of responsibility. In general, however, it can besaid that maladjustment tends to lead to unhappiness (and viceversa), and healthy and happy are positively related. This estimate is interpreted as the assignment ofgenes to the dominant role in determining individual differencesin IQ. American Psychologist, 55(1 ), 1126-1132. Reality negotiationgoverning one's self and being governed by others. (1997). While the notion of an innate ability to care for the selfmay be an accurate assumption in most cases, there areexceptions. Lyubomirsky, S. M. (2 1). Journal ofCounseling Psychology, 4 (1), 3-24. For the psychoanalyst, thehuman being is driven by instinctual forces and the behavioralexpression of these tendencies is shaped by early experiences.For the existentialist, the view of being human is similar tothe humanism view, in that they include the individual'ssubjective experience and include terms such as consciouschoice, freedom, values, autonomy, personal responsibility,purpose, and meaning. A perspective on thehistory of process and outcome research counseling psychology. R., & Higgins, R. Schneider, S. American Psychologist,56(3), 25 -263. Dickens and Flynn (2 1) point out that the solution to thecontroversy lies in the inclusion of both, with the notationthat there is a reciprocal relationship between the two. Responsibility is assigned toindividuals for their lives and well-being. It appears that bothfactors interact with equal importance and result in thelearning, growing, and changing of the individual. Some people are happy in the face of adversityand others are unhappy facing little or no adversity. Beyond the obvious facts such as that every human being isborn and will die most real truths are different for eachindividual and although it may be that all truths could beknown, many will probably not be known by each individual.Therefore, whether or not there is a true reality, may not bethe most important question when working with a client in thecounseling situation. While this estimate leaves little room for the influenceof environment, a look at the Dutch shows that in an environmentwhere little change has taken place, IQ scores are higher. Early studiesof the way people learn and grow include those by Karl Lashleyand Clark Hull, who were in opposition to each other. Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy.Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. New evidence implies that there is avery large environmental effect on IQ. Thusthe race continues, with heredity seemingly taking the lead, butenvironment coming to the forefront. M., Westefeld, J. Forexample, even behavioral techniques, though directive, can beadministered within a context that continues to view the clientas the responsible party and also considers the importance ofthe therapeutic relationship. Studieshave shown that self-rated happy individuals tend to be lesssensitive to social comparison, are open to all options, andremember and experience events in a way that serves theiraffective dispositions. Review ofGeneral Psycholoqy, 1(4), 336-35 . Person-Centered Counseling Carl Rogers introduced client-centered, person-centered, ornon-directive approaches, which is of particular influence to mycounseling approach. They develop positiveand negative theories of the self and use the realitynegotiation process to maintain their theories about the self.The individual therefore begins building a theory about realityand the self within that reality, based on interactions withcaregivers and others in the environment and they continue tosearch for information which preserves this reality. This view leaves out issues such as personal values andwill, as well as religious beliefs (Rychlak, 2 ) .Rose,Westefeld, and Ansley (2 1) point out that religion andspirituality are considered among the most important variableswhen it comes to being human, to include the human experience,beliefs, values, and behavior (well versus illness behaviors). Nature Versus Nurture Controversy Viewing other's attempts to resolve the nature-nurturecontroversy assists with coming to a conclusion. THE NATURE OF LIFE, HUMAN BEINGS, AND COUNSELING This research paper presents a discussion about life, humanbeings, and counseling, with specific emphasis on person-centered counseling. With the person centeredapproach, the goal is more than to solve problems, it includesassisting the client in their growth process, which ultimatelyprovides a more comprehensive and rewarding experience for theclient and the therapist, as well as skills that can be utilizedin future life situations. To be realistic, on theother hand, is to include objectivity and rationality. Lyubomirsky (2 1)addressed the issue of what makes a person unhappy andunhealthy. It was therefore concluded that theunknown factor leading to this increase, was the growingreciprocal relationship between genes and the environment. Journal of CounselingPsychology, 48(1), 61-71. L. N. What it means to be human is defined by each discipline.For the behaviorist, the human being is a blank slate to befilled by environmental influences. Thecollectivist cultures, compared to individualist cultures,demonstrate emotions that are grounded in assessments of socialworth, reflect external reality as opposed to the inner world ofthe individual, and are focused on the self-other relationshiprather than the subjectivity of the self. Hill, C. F. Corey, G.

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