Person-Centered TherapyText: Chapter 9

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)Outside Reading

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Person-Centered TherapyExperiential/Relationship Oriented

Developer: Carl R. Rogers Rogers: Example of a flower seed This seed has in it the potential to develop into a

beautiful flower The seed needs proper environmental conditions Rogers sees humans in this same way To fulfill our psychological potential, we need the

right environmental conditions.

Organismic valuing process - the innate tendency which allows individuals to evaluate their experience

That is, to know what experiences are growth producing and what experiences are detrimental to growth

The actualizing tendency/self actualization Locus of evaluation: internal/external.

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Unconditional positive regard Conditional regard/conditions of worth The need for positive regard - this need

may override the organismic valuing process

Introjected values Self/Self Concept - as we interact with

others, our self concept is developing The picture we have of who we are.

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Incongruence - this occurs when there is inconsistency between two things within personality

There are several types of incongruence that relate to Rogers’ theory

These are:Incongruence between self and experienceIncongruence between organismic valuing

process and introjected values/behaviorIncongruence between real self and ideal self.

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Self/Self Concept

responsible person good

husband good father

Behavior: drinks too much, becomes alcoholic, irresponsible behavior.

Incongruence between Self and Experience

An Example

• Rather than change picture of self (“I am an alcoholic and I behave in irresponsible ways at times.”) the individual may protect self using denial and distortion

• “Oh yes, I drink some, but I am not an alcoholic.”• Other examples.

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Incongruence between Organismic Valuing Process and Introjected Values/ Behavior

• Example: Inner self which leads in one direction is inconsistent with behavior which is based on what others (culture and society) want us to be and do

• Examples:• Student wants to major in art, but family has

always pushed toward medicine since all males in family have had medical careers

• Perhaps, this is the dilemma of the gay person who wants to be true to self, but fears consequences.

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Incongruence between Real Self and Ideal Self Those seeking therapy often have great

disparity between real and ideal self.

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• Little inconsistency between self/experience or OVP and introjected values/ behavior

• Self concept that is broad, all inclusive,

allowing us to see ourselves in all the ways which we are

• Therefore, there would be very little or no denial and distortion

• If this happens, Rogers believed we can get in touch with the organismic valuing process.

Goals of Therapy

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• Allows us to make decisions which are best for us and others

• Remember: Rogers sees individuals as basically good with an innate goodness that motivates toward self actualization

• If we are innately positive, forward moving, and good, why do we engage in unhealthy behavior?

• Answer?• the environment.

Getting in touch with the organismic valuing process

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The Conditions Conducive to Positive Growth

What the therapist provides which nurtures growth:

1. Unconditional positive regard

2. Empathic understanding

3. Congruence, genuineness, realness.

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1. Unconditional positive regard - • a non-possessive, caring, love, acceptance,

and prizing of the person• no matter what he/she is doing or feeling• This is in contrast to conditional positive

regard/conditions of worth• Can you do this with your client, child,

spouse, etc.?• Example.

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2. Empathic understanding –• feeling with someone, seeing their point of view, putting yourself in their shoes, communicating that you understand from their point of view

• Can you do this with your child, spouse, etc.?

• Example.

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3.Congruence, genuineness, or realness –• openness, honesty in the relationship

with another• being completely oneself in the

relationship, without pretending or putting up facades

• These 3 conditions are needed if individuals are to become more fully functioning, more self-actualized.

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Person-Centered Therapy• Rogers attempted to provide these three conditions• Clients changed by moving away from the

superficial self and toward one’s true self• Away from facades• Away from “oughts”• Away from pleasing others• Toward self-direction• Toward openness to experience• Toward greater trust in self.

Emotion-Focused Therapy• Sue Johnson• Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson• Based on attachment theory• Similar to object relations theory but . . . • Secure attachment – an affectionate relationship

in which partners mutually derive and provide closeness, comfort and security

• Attachment injury – when one partner violates the expectation that the other will offer comfort and caring, esp. in times of distress.

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• Underneath the distress, partners are asking: “Can I count on you, depend on you?”

• A primal panic – when partner is emotionally unavailable or unresponsive we face being out in the cold, alone and helpless

• We respond in one of two ways:1. Demanding and clinging2. Withdraw and detach

• If we love our partner, why do we not respond with caring? (p. 31)

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• Demon dialogues (p. 32)• Protest polka – one partner becomes critical

and aggressive and the other defensive and distant

• This dance takes over the relationship.• The blaming in this dialogue is an

attachment cry, a protest against disconnection (p. 47)

• Key moments in EFT are moments of secure bonding (p. 47).

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The Healing Conversations of EFT

1. Recognizing the demon dialogues2. Finding the raw spots – understand that

dialogues are about the safety of their emotional attachment and begin to plug into safer feelings, such as sadness, fear, embarrassment, loneliness

3. Revisit a rocky moment (p. 52-53)4. Hold me tight conversation – transforms

relationships (p. 54).19

Emotion Focused Couple Therapy Susan Johnson

• Assessment• Identify the destructive interactional cycle that

maintains marital distress• Discovering the feelings underlying

interactional positions• Reframing the problem in terms of the cycle• Promoting the owning of needs and of new

aspects of self

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• Promoting the acceptance of these aspects of self by the other

• Facilitating the expression of needs and wants and creating safe emotional engagement

• Fostering collaboration in regard to problem issues

• Consolidating new positions and new cycles of attachment behavior

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