Carl Rogers:

The Humanistic Approach

Two Basic Human Needs

Self Actualization: the need to fulfill all of
one’s potential.
Positive Regard: the need to receive
acceptance, respect, and affection from
others.
Positive regard often comes with conditions attached (“Conditions
of Worth”): We must meet others’ expectations to get it. This is
called Conditional Positive Regard.
Basic Human Problem: The two needs are
often in conflict. Satisfying one may
mean giving up the other.
Effect on Personality: We get a false
picture of who we are—our interests,
motivations, goals, abilities.
Our Two Selves
Real Self
(“Organism”): Self-Concept: the
all our person we think we
experiences are (e.g., “I am...”)
(feelings, wishes,
perceptions)
 Losing Touch with the
Real Self
 We have a need for positive self-regard (to like
and respect ourselves).
 Conditional positive regard from others becomes
conditional positive self-regard.
 This means we will like and accept only those
parts of ourselves that other people like and
accept.
 The self-concept pulls away from the real self;
we get a false picture of who we really are.
 This mismatch is called Incongruence.
 Person-Centered Therapy:
The Goal is Congruence
Incongruence has many harmful effects. One is
that it prevents self-actualization. You have to
know who you are to fulfill your potential.
The therapist tries to bring the self-concept
closer to the real self:

Self-
Real Self Congruence Concept
 Two Features of
Person-Centered Therapy
1. Empathic Understanding:
the therapist shows
emotions similar to the
client’s.
2. Unconditional Positive Regard: the therapist
shows respect and acceptance regardless of what
the client says; e.g., nods, says “Mm-hmm, I
see”.

The client wants the therapist’s approval and respect.

This is given unconditionally. The client can now respect
and like him/herself unconditionally. This allows the self-
concept to move closer to the real self.