A Way of Being by Carl Rogers

924 Words2 Pages

A Way of Being by Carl Rogers In the book by Carl Rogers, A Way of Being, Rogers describes his life in the way he sees it as an older gentleman in his seventies. In the book Rogers discusses the changes he sees that he has made throughout the duration of his life. The book written by Rogers, as he describes it is not a set down written book in the likes of an autobiography, but is rather a series of papers which he has written and has linked together. Rogers breaks his book into four parts. In Part I, of A Way of Being, Rogers discussed his own personal experiences and perspectives, on life to include relationships, philosophies, and what it means to look back at the way things were and what has become of them now. Rogers also in section one discusses reality and the ideas of whether or not we need "a" reality, and what exactly that reality is and how it develops in our respective views. In the second part of the book Rogers speaks of his ideas of his theory of the person-centered approach to therapy. This is the part of the book that I felt really spoke to me. Person-centered theory is a lot of what I would like to do. I enjoy the ideas and concepts that Rogers presents in his theory. I think that it is extremely important to be able to take into consideration not only the diagnosis of the patient/client with whom you are working, but that it is more important to be able to take the time to sit back and to listen to them. I have realized in the year that I have been working in the psychiatric hospital how important it is for the patient/client to just sit back and listen to what it is they're saying to you. This however does not mean I am only hearing their words, but that I am listening at a much deeper level and actually he... ... middle of paper ... ...sire for authenticity and in another point it talks about the desire for wholeness. Theses two "desires" as Rogers calls them are important to me in regards to what I am looking for and the way I am hoping to help my clients see themselves. All in all, I must say that I believe Rogers lead an incredible life. I think his works are amazing and I treasure the theory which he has provided for our world. I find great interest in the person-centered theory and what it stands for which was in my opinion Rogers greatest accomplishment. It is incredible to look back now and to realize that prior to Rogers the idea of listening to the client and actually hearing what they were saying and not just the vocal words which were spoken was almost non-existent. I am must state that I am very glad to live in the world post Rogers development, in which this idea is no longer foreign.

Show More
Related

  • My Great-Grandfather's Slaves By Wendell Berry

    508 Words  | 2 Pages

    The poem, “My Great-Grandfather’s Slaves” by Wendell Berry, illustrates the guilt felt for the sins of a man’s ancestors. The poem details the horror for the speaker’s ancestors involvement in slavery and transitions from sympathy for the slaves to feeling enslaved by his guilt. Berry uses anaphora, motif, and irony, to express the speaker’s guilt and provide a powerful atmosphere to the poem.

    Read More

  • America, by Claude McKay

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    The poem America by Claude McKay is on its surface a poem combining what America should be and what this country stands for, with what it actually is, and the attitude it projects amongst the people. Mckay uses the form of poetry to express how he, as a Jamaican immigrant, feels about America. He characterizes the bittersweet relationship between striving for the American dream, and being denied that dream due to racism. While the America we are meant to see is a beautiful land of opportunity, McKay see’s as an ugly, flawed, system that crushes the hopes and dreams of the African-American people.

    Read More

  • Every Day, by David Levithan

    890 Words  | 2 Pages

    Breaking rules is what makes humans learn. This is what David Levithan interpreted in his 322-page fictional novel, Every Day. David Levithan uses characterization, vivid imagery, and irony to convey to readers that systems don’t follow rules.

    Read More

  • Growing Up Empty by Loretta Schwartz-Nobel

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many policy issues that affect families in today’s society. Hunger is a hidden epidemic and one major issue that American’s still face. It is hard to believe that in this vast, ever growing country, families are still starving. As stated in the book Growing Up Empty, hunger is running wild through urban, rural, and even suburban communities. This paper will explore the differing perspectives of the concerned camp, sanguine camp, and impatient camp. In addition, each camps view, policy agenda, and values that underlie their argument on hunger will be discussed.

    Read More

  • Rogerian Therapy As A Approach To Counseling

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the field of counseling continues to progress numerous theoretical orientations have been developed. One theoretical approach to counseling has been coined as person centered counseling or client centered therapy. This type of approach is commonly referred to as Rogerian psychotherapy. Rogerian therapy focuses on the empowerment of individuals with the inner self. These constructs are vital to ensuring and promoting a transparent and honest atmosphere which subsequently results in effective counseling. The behaviors that are found in client centered counseling are valuable as they motivate the client to explore their "hidden feelings" and become aware of where their feelings derive from. Being afforded the rare opportunity to see Rogers

    Read More

  • Examples Of Theoretical Orientation

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    To explain, the client should not be inferior to the counselor; the environment should be two people discussing an issue and ways to make a difference. A therapist should occasionally share similar experiences; therefore, sessions should make clients feel comfortable. To add, the client should feel safe due to the positive atmosphere the therapist brings to the session. The goal is to finally give the client a chance to be heard, regularly people are muted and feel like they are insignificant to society. Similarly, to Person-centered therapy where communication with the client is unconditionally positive. The therapist needs to genuinely care about the client needs for them to fully express themselves successfully. Furthermore, clients should be encouraging to make their own choices which model how to identify and use power responsibly. Hence, this will help the client feel more confident in everyday life when making a meaningful

    Read More

  • Dystopian Societies

    1224 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...r the better and placing the focus on the individual. The “pursuit of meaning” that he describes as a form of life is focused on finding something bigger than one’s self to attach to. According to Seligman, this is the ultimate form of satisfaction. Once the individual prevails against the institution, grim predictions about the future will start to fade and personal expression will triumph putting an end to the decline of civilization.

    Read More

  • My Essay

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Person-Centred Counselling established its origins in the late 1940 during a conference when Carl Rogers gave a talk entitled ‘New Concepts in Psychotherapy’. The summarisation of the talk resulted in the theory that the client in a counselling relationship should be at the center of the relationship and lead the counselling process. The Client, in effect became the expert on their life and/or problems. The fundamental belief is that an individual is capable of change, growth and fulfillment (self-concept). Person-Centred counselling looks at ‘the here and now’ and how to make changes that affect the future. Person-Centred Counselling generated a system known as the ‘Core Conditions Model’ which emphasized three key components: Empathy, Congruence and Acceptance.

    Read More

  • Father and Son by Bernard McLaverty

    1287 Words  | 3 Pages

    Father and Son by Bernard McLaverty 'Father and Son' by Bernard McLaverty is a short story which is set in

    Read More

  • July’s People by Nadine Gordimer

    2201 Words  | 5 Pages

    In July’s People, Nadine Gordimer gives a very detailed and knowledgeable explanation of the political turmoil within South Africa. By expressing the emotions of a family involved in the deteriorating situation and the misunderstandings between blacks and whites, she adds a very personal and emotional touch, which allows the reader to understand the true horror and terror these people experienced. Gordimer writes of how the Smales family reacts, survives, and adjusts to this life altering experience. She makes obvious throughout the book that prejudice plays a major role in uncovering the reactions of Bamford and Maureen Smales.

    Read More

  • Make the Impossible Possible by Bill Strickland

    1851 Words  | 4 Pages

    What should our goals be in life? Bill Strickland makes the point that no matter who you are you can do anything you put your mind too. In his book “Making the impossible possible” he explains his own struggle and how he made it through life to be able to help others. He explains his young childhood. He talks about how he had to live through riots and the racism. He talks about how he wanted to help people make their lives better. He explains his struggles with trying to maintain these buildings and how he made great connections. He tells about his love for pottery and his want to help others. His book was truly an inspiration and turned out to be more than I took his book for in the first few pages. His book made me think about my life and how I can relate to him.

    Read More

  • Humanistic Perspective

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alongside the other two perspectives, I consider how Roger’s humanistic perspective played a part in my life. Humanism emphasizes that people have a natural capacity to make decisions about their lives and control their behavior. This theory takes into account the self of people and their free will to make choices instead of relying heavily on societal standards. People inherently start out good, growing through experiences that are suitable to them. Positive regard is often a need people seek out and it is best recognized by other people. From my experience, Julia became a role model for how strong of a woman I wanted to become during emergencies. As I grew up learning how to handle my dad’s episodes, it did earn the respect from everyone

    Read More

  • Culture Is Ordinary, by Raymond Williams

    1076 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of “culture” is “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time”. On the other hand, accroding to Raymond Williams, it is more complicated. However, ther is something that is certain: Culture is ordinary, which happens to be the title of an article he wrote to define and explain what culture is.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Gift Of Being Yourself

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    Allender speaks of the value of seeing our life as a story, and of being able to actually read and understand our story, guided by God. He considers that we all ask how we answer the question ‘who am I, and what does it mean to be me?’ Allender highlights that it is in looking at the ‘characters’ we are surrounded by, the ones that gave birth to us, and also our past experiences and relational interactions – that will aid in the understanding of our own story. He speaks of being aware that these factors do, in part, help form patterns within our own lives (good or bad), and this in turn gives us insight

    Read More

  • Sigmund Freud's Theory Of Personality Theory

    1419 Words  | 3 Pages

    Carl Rogers was a founder of this movement that emphasizes personal growth, and he suggested that the personality only contains one paradigm- the self-concept. The self-concept is a collection of beliefs about one’s nature, qualities unique to them, and their typical behavior. If a person’s self-concept matched reality, then they are considered congruent. If they do not match reality, then they are considered incongruent, and this has an effect on the person’s well being. Rogers believed that a parent’s unconditional love for their child could help foster congruence in that person. (Weiten, Dunn, & Hammer, 2012) He based these humanistic theories off of the interactions that he had with his clients, as he observed them during their sessions. His theories help to explain a person’s defensive behavior among other things, but most importantly, he stressed that psychological health is extremely important. (Weiten, Dunn, & Hammer,

    Read More

More about A Way of Being by Carl Rogers

Open Document