Person-Centered Therapy Approach By Carl Rogers: Person Centered Therapy

The Person Centered Therapy approach by Carl Rogers teaches us as counselors that we can direct our own life and have the resolutions to our own issues without direction from a therapist. We are to use our inner resources to solve our problems which we all possess. Person Centered Therapy is built on a genuine relationship between the client and the therapist. The therapeutic setting is a nonjudgmental atmosphere. This type of therapy allows for the client and counselor to form a very deep relationship, one that Carl Rogers would say is one of the deepest relationships someone will experience.
I would apply Person Centered Therapy in many different ways when working with a culturally diverse population. One of the key concepts taught is …show more content…
When working with children Person Centered Therapy could be a difficult form of therapy to have them participate in because it is led by the client and a child may need more direction. This can also be true when working with certain cultures that are taught not to express their feelings or emotions. I would personally use expressive art therapy with either of these populations allowing them to really express their emotions and feelings without using their words. For instance, I could have either of these two populations of clients draw something that is important to them and then have them talk about the picture to see if I could figure out what they are trying to communicate to me. Once they explain the picture to me I would rephrase what I thought I heard them explain for clarification which would hopefully allow for them to talk more openly about the meaning behind the picture. I would also hope that this would show that I was accepting, warm and that they are open to talk about only what they wish to share with me. I would want this activity to make the client aware that this is a safe, nonjudgmental and trusting environment which I hope they would realize through my body language and the positive ambiance I would be giving off. I would also use this approach or a similar approach with children who …show more content…
It can be extremely difficult for a victim of sexual abuse to talk about their feelings towards it and express through words how they are feeling because they may still be feeling ashamed of what has happened or it could just be too painful to put into words. A lot of trauma victim’s abuse also come back as memory or body sensations (flashbacks) which are difficult to express through words. The feelings can be very overwhelming and can take over one’s body for a given moment and even possibly send them into panic. I would have these clients participate in dance movement therapy. I as the counselor would gain trust of the client because they are never pushed beyond their comfort zone. The communication through movement can be more therapeutic to a person because it reunites them with their bodies and makes them feel as though they are in control. This is showing them that they do have the inner resources to solve their own problems without the direction of a therapist as Rogers was a strong advocate of. I think that this is such a strong form of therapy and because I would really like to work with this population that I would use this concept the most within my counseling