Psychologist Carl Rogers originated the person-centered approach to therapy in the 1940s and refined its principles until his passing in 1987. His way of doing therapy was not to “do” at all—rather, he believed the client to be their own expert, to have within themselves all that they needed to effectively grapple with and through their problems and concerns.
For Rogers, therapy was principally non-directive. He did not concern himself with guiding the client, or giving advice. Therapeutic techniques—limited though they were in that day; such concepts as Gestaltist “chair work,” psychoanalytic-dynamic free association; the therapist’s interpretation; Beck’s “cognitive restructuring” come to mind—were not of interest to him. (It is worth noting that Rogers heavily borrowed from Eugene Gendlin’s focusing-oriented therapy the concept of "experiencing” in much of his later work, although he did not engage with focusing itself; see Quinn [2015].) Rather, Rogers’ intention was to provide the client with a warm, acceptant environment, undergirded by what have come to be known as the “core conditions” of not only the person-centered approach but wider psychotherapy: Unconditional positive regard; an empathic stance (and associated accurate understanding of the client, as-if the therapist were in the client’s position); and congruence, colloquially known as authenticity and put-togetherness.
Provided that the therapist and client are in psychological contact and the client perceives the three aforementioned attributes on the part of the therapist, Rogers believed that the client will arrive at their own understanding of whatever it is that is troubling them and through this process become more open and less defensive towards not only their troubles but wider life. In becoming what he called “fully-functioning,” able to exist within their inherent capacities in a more open, less defensive, more greatly actualized manner, the individual can better confront the difficulties of life.
Rogers held an incredibly intentional stance and willingness to continually step into the unknown with each client, recognizing them as unique individuals. He was remarkably curious about human beings and did his best to encounter and receive them exactly as they were in the moment. He did not believe in clients arriving to therapy with mountains of assessments or personality tests for him to evaluate, and did not give “homework.” For Rogers, therapy was about meeting the individual wherever they were, in whatever state they were, as two persons in conversation. He is well-known for repeating back to the client his own understanding of what has just been shared, with the intent that they may modify it in order that he more accurately understand their experience.
Rogers, too, was adamant about reducing as much as possible any power differential that might exist between client and therapist. He fostered what was then, and now remains, a powerful, radically-different ethic of non-control which he brought to all aspects of his life.
These are but a few key aspects of the person-centered approach.
Where do I fit in to all of this?
Though not in such terms, my first exposure to the person-centered approach came as a child, through the work of American television host and educator Fred Rogers (Bolton, 2020) in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. The two Rogers, though unrelated, shared many similarities of view about the human condition and human potential. With Fred Rogers’ values lying dormant, my interest in the person-centered approach as a way of therapy and life was piqued and solidified during an undergraduate course on personality theories in 2019.
For me, the person-centered approach represents not just a therapeutic stance but a gentler, yet also fiercer, stance on life: I view striving for person-centeredness as a rebellious act in an overall way-of-being. It is about sitting comfortably with uncertainty and standing counter-to—pushing back against inauthenticity; control and power imbalances, and communication shortfalls; and providing space for self-determination of individuals at all levels of society—as well as continually revisiting what it means and looks like to be authentic—in life as well as therapeutic contexts. Moreover, it is about providing space for others simply to be as they are. It is, in other words, about making an effort to really hear the other person, to learn their perspective, but also about de-centering views which seek to subjugate and diminish personhood.
"People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, 'Soften the orange a bit on the right-hand corner.' I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.” Carl Rogers
What does it mean to be congruent as an autistic person in a neurotypical world; what does it look like to be myself in a world which would have me be anything else? What does it mean to hold an empathic stance and to cultivate a compassionate attitude of genuine, non-instrumental positive regard so as to break down the conditions of worth—the conditions we internalize and believe we must meet in order for other people to accept us as worthy of their love or positive regard—others have been dealt?
The person-centered approach represents to me what was in Carl Rogers’ words a process-based “good life” of meaning-seeking-and-finding and what was, implicitly if not explicitly to Fred Rogers, a lifetime’s work worth the effort. For me it is not just a grappling to further understand myself, but to understand, affirm, and support the lives of others.
Among other hats I wear, I am a professor of psychology, volunteer crisis counselor, and OutSchool teacher of middle and high school psychology classes—you can learn more at my website. My intention in maintaining this blog/newsletter is to regularly process, in a style that bridges formal and informal writing, my thoughts on being person-centered and autistic in a neurotypical world. I also hope it may be a place to foster discussion of psychological and social work matters.
With a master’s degree in psychology behind me and a master’s of social work candidacy underway as of August 2022, I am focused on my studies with the eventual provision of anti-oppressive, person-centered therapy. I am most interested in working with neurodivergent individuals, traumatized survivors of natural disasters, and teenagers—potentially in a school social work setting. Perhaps opportunity presents to work with one or more of these groups; perhaps I am taken in a different direction altogether as my education continues. My interest in working with these populations stems from my background as a multiply-neurodivergent autistic individual with ADHD; a lifelong passion for weather and professional work in the meteorological realm; and mentoring experiences I had in high school and have since paid forward in the context of summer camp programs. Writings on these and other topics to come; hopefully you’ll stay tuned-in! Subscribe for free below to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark the blog and check back later.
If you would like to donate a small amount to support me in this endeavor, you can do so on a one-time or monthly basis at my Ko-Fi profile. Proceeds will benefit my research (allowing me to pay participants in an ethical manner!), writing (I won't have to teach quite so much and can spend that energy developing and sharing my thoughts!), and tuition (every little bit helps!).
References
Bolton, M. J. (2020). Hello, neighbor: A process of person-centered mentorship inspired by Carl and Fred Rogers. The Person-Centered Journal, 25(1–2), 32–58. https://adpca.org/article/pcj25/hello-neighbor-a-process-of-person-centered-mentorship-inspired-by-carl-and-fred-rogers/
Quinn, A. (2015). A person-centered approach and the decline of a way of being. Preprint, ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.1.1667.3121
I really liked how you connected Carl Rogers’ approach to your own experience as an autistic person. It feels like a fresh perspective. The way you highlight living authentically in a world that usually doesn’t understand us is very relatable. Even though you wrote this a while ago, it’s clear your insights are timeless.