What is Rogerian Person-Centered Therapy?
Therapist and Life Coach, Cherry Hill NJ, Marlton NJ, and Voorhees, NJ (856) 352-5428 Contact NJ Therapy & Life Coaching
"It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.”
― Carl Rogers
What is Person-Centered Therapy and Why We Use It
Therapist, teacher, and researcher Carl Rogers pioneered person-centered psychotherapy, a collaborative approach that shifts the therapist’s role from “expert” to a partner in problem-solving with the client. This foundation laid the groundwork for the therapeutic methods we practice today.
When clients inquire about our therapy methods, we explain that we offer cognitive therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy within a Rogerian, person-centered framework. Our goal is to foster personal growth by creating a non-judgmental therapeutic environment and providing unconditional positive regard during sessions.
How is Therapy Provided?
To provide Rogerian Person-Centered psychotherapy, the following conditions must exist:
Personal growth can occur only when there is a trusting connection between you and your therapist. Rogers stresses the need for a robust, connected relationship between you and your therapist. He believes that for you to experience personal growth, a connected relationship must exist between you and your therapist.
Anxiety and fear are most often the result of an ‘incongruence’ between your self-image and your daily experiences. You may be unaware of how your inner core beliefs cloud your perception of reality. We work together to identify these beliefs and how they impact your life and view of the world.
We must be genuine. For your personal growth to occur, as therapists, we need to be true to ourselves when working with you. This means that to best understand you and your life experience, we must be self-aware.
We must provide what Rogers calls “unconditional positive regard” when we work together. This is the foundation upon which your relationship with us rests. Providing you with unconditional positive regard means that we accept all of you and who you are, free of judgment.
We must be empathic. Empathy is having the ability to understand and relate to your experiences and emotions. A key to your personal growth is our ability to personally relate to what you bring to our relationship.
By providing unconditional positive regard and a non-judgmental environment in therapy, you can be who you are. You cannot change and grow if you do not feel safe sharing all of who you are.
You must feel safe and understood when participating in psychotherapy. Through our use of Rogerian person-centered methods, your therapy will lead to a full understanding of who you are and will allow you to grow and change.
