Carl Rogers - what are the concepts of the self about

asks natasha:
A. Carl Rogers (1902-1987) is known as the 'father of person-centred therapy'. This is where the counsellor reflects his client's responses back to him or her to set up an atmosphere of acceptance. This is designed to allow the client to tap his or her inner resources for developing self-esteem. (Carl Rogers was also the first person to call 'patients' clients.)

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Q. Is self-esteem a big thing with him
A. Oh yes. Rogers' theory is that people are basically good and healthy, and mental illness, criminal behaviour and other such problems are distortions. The theory is built on what Rogers calls the 'actualising tendency'.

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Q. What's that, then
A. He described it as a built-in driving force we all have to develop our potentials to the fullest. Rogers believed that every person endeavours to make the best of his or her existence and that one thing we instinctively value is 'positive regard' (i.e. love, affection, attention). Another is positive self-regard - or self-esteem, self-worth, a positive self-image. This achieved by receiving positive regard from others when we are growing up. Without it, we can't achieve our potential.

However, as we grow up we often find that the people around us only give us what we need when we show we are 'worthy' of it - e.g. you get a pudding if you eat your vegetables or - more importantly - you get love and affection only if you 'behave'. Rogers calls this 'conditional positive regard'.

Because we need positive regard to thrive, these conditions are very powerful forces. What happens is that we bend ourselves into a shape determined by others, rather than our 'actualising tendency'.

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Q. What happens then
A. Over time, we have conditional positive self-regard, too - i.e. we only like ourselves if we meet standards set by others. These standards may not suit us as individuals, so we can't meet them and can't find any sense of self-esteem.

According to Rogers, the fully-functioning person is:

• Open to experience - not on the defence
• Living existentially - in the here-and-now not in the past or the future
• Doing what feels right - this is called 'organismic trusting', or doing what comes naturally
• Experientially free - feeling free when choices are available, and taking responsibility for those choices
• Creative - if you feel free and responsible, you will act accordingly, and participate in the world.�

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By Sheena Miller