Important Questions for IGNOU PGDCFT MSCCFT MCFT003 Exam with Main Points for Answer - Unit 7 Person-Centered Approaches

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Unit 7 Person-Centered Approaches

1. Define incongruence.

Incongruence is a discrepancy between the actual experience of the organism and the self-picture of the individual insofar as it represents that experience.

2. List the three phases in the development of person-centered counselling

Following are the three main phases in the development of person-centered counselling:

i) Stage 1: Nondirective (1940-1950),

ii) Stage 2: Client-centered (1950-1961), and

iii) Stage 3: Person-centered (1961-present)

3. List the major concepts of person-centered counselling

Following are the major concepts of person-centered counselling:

i) Actualizing tendency,

ii) Self-concept,

iii) Organismic valuing process, and

iv) Need for positive regard.

4. What are the qualities of fully functioning individual?

According to Rogers. the fully functioning individual has following qualities:

i) Basic trust in self

ii) Openness to experiences,

iii) Willingness to continuous growth, and

iv) Internal source of evaluation.

5. Define Congruence.

Congruence means that the counsellors outward responses match their inner awareness and feeling; that they are genuine, real, open, authentic and transparent.

6. Define Empathy.

It is process of understanding another person as if you were that person but without ever losing the 'as if' quality.

7. Define Unconditional positive regard.

Unconditional positive regard on the part of the counsellor means that the counsellor offers the person respect, acceptance (it does not need to be approved), caring and appreciation regardless of the client's attitude or behaviour.

8. What did Rogers see as the reason for negative and antisocial emotions?

Rogers maintained that we behave as we do because of the way we perceive our situation.
Distortion between an individual's actual experience and self concept make the person vulnerable and leads to maladjustment.
Thus, person-centered counselling aims to address the incongruence that the individual develops.

9. What did Rogers say are the six conditions for personality change?

For person-centered counselling to work Rogers said that counselling needed to take place under the following conditions:

• Two persons are in psychological contact.

• The first, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable and anxious.

• The second person, whom we shall term the therapist or counsellor, is congruent or integrated in the relationship.

• The counsellor experiences unconditional positive regard for the client.

• The counsellor experiences an empathic understanding of the client's internal frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client.

• The communication to the client of the counsellor's empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved.

10. What are the three main attitudes or traits possessed by person-centered counsellors?

In this framework, Rogers describes the counsellor's role as follows:

• The counsellor's attitude towards the client is one of respect as an equal,

• The counsellor provides an atmosphere of acceptance where the client is able to become more aware of self and is able to explore her or his experiences and relationships with others,

• The counsellor attempts to understand the client and is genuine and open to her or his own experience in the counselling relationship,

• The counsellor offers the client unconditional acceptance and empathetic understanding, and

• The counsellor does not offer advice.

11. What are the basic assumptions of Rogers' person-centered counselling? Discuss.

The person-centered approach to counselling, developed by Carl Rogers, rests on a deep respect for and trust in the individual’s capacity for growth, development and creativity. The basic assumptions include:

Individuals Are Inherently Good and Trustworthy: Rogers believed in the self-actualizing potential of each person. Given a supportive environment, people will naturally move towards growth and well-being.
Focus on the Present: Person-centered counselling is rooted in the “here and now,” rather than dwelling on past experiences like childhood events.
Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship: The relationship between the client and counsellor is the primary vehicle for change. The counsellor's attitude and personal qualities are crucial for creating a growth-promoting environment. This includes offering:
Congruence: The counsellor is genuine, authentic and transparent in their interactions with the client.
Empathic Understanding: The counsellor strives to deeply understand the client's perspective and communicate this understanding.
Unconditional Positive Regard: The counsellor offers the client acceptance, respect, and caring, regardless of their actions or feelings.
Client as the Expert: The client is seen as the expert on their own experiences and possesses the inner resources for self-healing and growth. The counsellor's role is to facilitate this process of self-discovery.
These core assumptions form the foundation of person-centered counselling and guide its therapeutic approach.

12. Describe the nonverbal ways of communicating empathy.

Bolton offers these suggestions to establish a posture of involvement:

• Lean toward the speaker: This posture will communicate energy and attentiveness. This will also communicate the counsellor's interest and active involvement in the relationship.

• Face the other squarely: It means your right shoulder to the speaker's left. This posture communicates your involvement. It is especially important for you to position yourself so that you are at the eye-level with the client. This will circumnavigate feelings of threat and can greatly aid in forming an interpersonal relationship.

• Maintaining an open posture : It is also important for fostering interpersonal relatedness. A closed posture (that is crossed arms and or legs) often communicates coldness and defensiveness.

• Proximity to the client: You also need to be aware of your proximity to the client. We all have a concept of "personal space." When those boundaries are crossed it puts. the other on the defensive and makes them feel uncomfortable. However, too much distance communicates aloofness and disconnectedness.

• Gestures: Gestures also are used to show attention. The purpose of gesturing when you are listening is to encourage the client to continue speaking. This can most easily be done with a periodic head nod.

• Effective eye contact: It says that you are visually attuned to what the speaker is saying. Good eye contact involves focusing on the speaker's face and occasionally shifting the focus to other parts of the body. The key is that the other is aware that they have your attention because your eyes are "on them". Good eye contact should seem natural to the other person. Whatever you do, don't "stare them down". This makes them anxious and sometimes critical.

In his book, 'The Skilled Helper (1998)', Gerad Egan offers what he has labelled the 'Micro Skills of Attending'. He has developed the following acronym.

S - face the client Squarely

0- have an Open posture

L- Lean into the conversation

E- Eye contact

R- be Relaxed

13. Describe the stages of Rogerian counselling.

During the course of counselling, the individuals undergo a journey and go through the following stages:

• Stage One: The client is very defensive, and extremely resistant to change. She or he is apprehensive about the counselling itself, the counsellor and their decision.

• Stage Two: Client becomes slightly less rigid, and will talk about external events or other people. Also the client begins to recognize and express previously denied feelings and moves towards more open and honest communication.

• Stage Three: Client talks about herself or himself, but as an object. Avoids discussion of present events. She or he gradually gains awareness of the inner experiences and is able to accept those experiences.

• Stage Four: Client begins to talk about deep feelings and develops a relationship with the counsellor. Now she or he changes the locus of evaluation outside themselves to an internal state. The next three stages represent substantial growth in the person's journey of self-actualization.

• Stage Five: Client can expr ss present emotions, and are beginning to rely more on their own decision making abilities and increasingly accept more responsibility for their actions. A decline in negativity, anxiety, self-doubt and blaming seen in the client.

• Stage Six: The client shows rapid growth toward congruence, and begins to develop unconditional positive regard for others. This stage signals the end for the need for formal therapy.

• Stage Seven: The client is a fully functioning, self actualized individual who is empathic and shows unconditional positive regard for others. This individual can relate their previous therapy to present day real-life situations.

Important Points

i) Empathic understanding means perceiving the world; from the client's perspective.

ii) Gestures are used to show attention.

iii) A paraphrase is concise response to the essence of the communication in the counsellor's own words.

iv) A congruent counsellor is non-defensive.

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