On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy by Carl R. Rogers offers profound insights into the process of personal growth and self-understanding. It illuminates the journey towards becoming fully functioning individuals, emphasizing the importance of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence in therapeutic relationships.
The Therapeutic Relationship
A successful therapeutic relationship is built on three key elements: empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence.
These components foster an environment conducive to personal growth and self-discovery.
The Actualizing Tendency
The actualizing tendency is the inherent drive in every organism to grow, develop, and reach its full potential.
It’s the foundation of Rogers’ theory of personality development.
Conditions of Worth
Conditions of worth are the standards that individuals believe they must meet in order to gain acceptance from others.
These conditions can hinder self-actualization, as they often lead to incongruence between the self-concept and actual experience.
Psychopathology
Psychopathology, according to Rogers, arises from incongruence between the self-concept and actual experience.
This incongruence leads to defensive behaviors, hindering the process of self-actualization.
