The Person Centered Model - Essay Example

The Person Centered Model Introduction Person Centered Model is a method used to treat patients psychologically. It is used to understand the person's requirement and expectations. The steps to achieve it are properly designed based on the expectation. Personal centered counseling is an efficient way of changing one's personal behavior and attitude. It enables a person to get a positive approach towards life. In this model, the psychologist treats the problem of a person as his own problem and then arrives at solutions. (Rennie 1996). Growth of person may not be same as others. Each one may require their own time to realize the potential and to work on it. General human tendency is to accept others opinion and follow it. Instead one should have positive outlook. Personal centered approach helps a person to reach his goal by enabling him to develop personal skills. Historical Development Before many years, psychiatrists used various treatments to help a person who thought of changing his personality or behavior. All these systems did not suit the people who were looking out for a method that could help them in self realization. Many research scholars and authors tried to find a solution that would enable people to improve in their life. In 1959, Roger, introduced Person centred Model, which helped the people who thought of changing their personality. This approach was simple and mainly aimed at helping the people with their problems. (Roger 1961). A person may be affected psychologically due to some incidents or problems in his life. To overcome this situation, these personal centered models are used. Each person will have a different problem and this method is used. By using this approach one can understand the problem of the person, his behavior. Then his problems with others must be known and should be analyzed. The main aim of this approach is to leave a lifelong effect. The character of an individual, his likes and dislikes can also be known. Some people may have disability and due to that they may have some sort of complexity. Person centered counseling helps them in getting relieved of this complexity and to lead a peaceful life. This model finds out the level of disability and helps them to be in a place where they feel comfortable.(Thorne 2003). People with disability are mostly labeled and this spoils their personal identity in the society. Hence extra care should be taken when dealing with these people. Implementing Person Centered Model The skill and abilities of a person are clearly understood in this method. It is a process which involves various steps. First the problem of the person must be analyzed. Then counseling is conducted to find out his feelings and emotions. Likes and dislikes are also known. Then the approach is implemented so that it will result in proper improvement. All this requires some time. It will take time to know about the person as an individual. Then opinions from people who are related to that person are known. The behavior and reaction of a person depends on the situation. Hence to completely know about him, his various facets have to be known. The reaction and approach towards other people is also an important factor. One's deciding abilities and his personal traits play a major role in defining the character. People around him may find some negative aspects regarding that person, where as he may not know about it. Understanding cannot be achieved overnight. One should put in more efforts to understand himself. They can share this experience with others so that they might help in developing a person better. The character of people may change. A bad or good experience might change one's view of life. Behavior of a person will vary depending on the circumstance. A person may be well behaved in a group and may exhibit different kind of behavior when met alone. Personality can be changed if proper methodology is selected and implemented. (Casemore 2006).One of the best ways is Person centered approach. Roger proposed this method which helps to understand a person in an efficient way. Many of the characteristics and abilities of a person are often neglected. A proposal that finds out all the hidden capabilities is considered to be a good approach. PCM Process A person would like to change his personality in terms of his character and behaviour. One may be emotionally upset or might be facing problems in work place. All this reflects in the way he moves with others. Stress is also one of the major causes for the difference in a person's character. One may not be able to control his temper due to depression or pressure at workplace. In this situation personality change is ideal. Experiences from the past play a major role in one's character. In this process one can easily get relieved of all these experiences that spoil the day to day affair. One should try to accept himself as how he actually is. This will solve most of the problems. Instead people change their behaviour according to the situation; this is not a permanent solution. Changing his qualities will avoid acting differently at each place. (Tudor, Wormall 2006). Psychological problems may be due to one's experience or the pressure of life. This method helps to realise oneself and to know about the hidden capabilities and potentials. Thus it brings out the original qualities of a person which even he did not know. One should try to enhance himself which will help him to grow as a person. An individual decides about himself based on others comments and conclusions. Judging the potential by the ideas and decision by others will lead to many problems. One decides the concept of self based on others conclusions. Due to this a person totally changes from the original character to the one emphasized by others. One should realise his own worth and act accordingly. (Mearns 2003).Changing the personality is not a very difficult task. Self-acceptance is important to change the personality. As a person behaves differently in different situations, his originality is lost and thus he loses his identity in the society. One's personality is based on the society he lives, cultural background and the expectations from others. If a person is not able to manage all these, it ends in problem. Core conditions of PCM Person centred model has three conditions that help in assisting a person to grow and develop his personality. These will help in understanding the person better. Unconditional Positive Regard The counsellor expects the person to disclose all the feelings and emotions. They want the person to behave in his original manner. (Corey 2009). Empathetic Understanding In this stage the counsellor would have got an idea about the person's character as they understand one's feelings and reactions. One should explain his view of life expectations. Congruence Here the counsellor explains the person regarding how he is till now and what he has to change. These conditions will assist the person in realising his own self and will help to develop them. They can change their personality and be independent. When compared to other methods, person centred model concentrates on the person and his needs instead of following the techniques used in other methods. (Adams,Greider 2005). The main aim of this approach is client can know about himself and concentrates on the feelings of the person. The counsellor should create a perfect situation where the client can be free enough to express himself. Counsellor must understand the requirements of the person who has come. They should not thrust any ideas or changes to the client. Instead he himself must realise what he needs to change and what should be developed. Only if the counsellor understands the problem of the client, he can provide solution and refer what has to be done. This method concentrates more on the existing situation rather than thinking and analyzing the past. It helps the person to come out of the fear and unnecessary worries from the past. It is a process of learning and realising oneself. This reveals the hidden potential and capabilities. Roger (1961) states that "I believe it will have become evident why, for me, adjectives such as happy, contented, blissful, enjoyable, do not seem quite appropriate to any general description of this process i have called the good life, even though the person in this process would experience each one of these feelings at appropriate times." This approach works differently for each person as the reaction, emotion and behaviour of each person differ. To achieve a change, one has to work hard right from self-acceptance till developing his personality. Everybody does not have the will power and mental stability to manage any situation. A well balanced life is essential. As most of the people are not able to handle such situations, balancing their life becomes the first criteria. One should know what is essential and must prioritize which one should be done first. (Tolan 2003).They should decide which must be given importance in life. Many people lack self confidence, which is a major drawback. Any psychological feeling cannot be cured overnight. As this approach gives full freedom to the client, the counsellor gives opinion based on how comfortable the client is. The client himself should decide what he has to improve and change. Counsellors will guide them through the process. This approach is known as the best model to treat minimal problems. If a person is affected by more serious problem, then this method will not prove effective. People who want to change their personality and who want to realise them can definitely make use of this method. Before implementing any method, one must understand the purpose and its results. If the correct method is selected and the changes are properly followed, it will certainly lead to an improvement in one's personality. The creativity of each person is increased which enables them in their development. (Mulhauser 2009). Advantages of Person Centred Method It is an easy approach that helps people in the process of changing one's personality. This gives importance to the relationship a person has with others. This can easily determine a person's attitude. A person's character is decided on how he behaves and how well he maintains the relationship. As this method does not use any particular technique, it is suitable for all the clients. This does not impose any conditions or guidelines to be followed. Hence the clients find this type of counselling better than the other methods. This proves to be a success, as the client is free to explore his potential and capabilities and can easily change himself.(Smull, Harrison 2003). Once the person's problem and the quality he lacks are found out, the process becomes simple. The next step is to adapt to the changes. The counsellor does not decide on what has to be done; instead depending on the client's situation the changes are suggested. As the client feels comfortable with the counsellor, he feels free to express his feelings. The client on their own reveals their problems and find out the solutions. Disadvantages of Person Centred Model Person centred counselling is a lengthy process. It is the responsibility of the counsellor to suggest the client the relevant changes and guide them throughout the process. This approach does not make use of any particular technique to help the client in improving his personality. Evolution of Person Centred Approach During its introduction, person centred counselling did not have much of a process flow based on which client's were examined. The counsellors accepted clients and it was the responsibility of the counsellor to help the client throughout the process. Now the counsellor has much more to do. They should understand the client's problem and help them. Later in the 1960's, the major focus was on the client alone. The counsellor's approach to the client's problem seemed to be important. They had the responsibility of helping the client to make them realise the difference between the real behaviour, personality and the ideal personality. During this period, the work of a counsellor slightly changed. (Corey 2009). After many years, this method has gone through some changes. Now the result of implementing this method depends on the counsellor's attitude and their relationship with the clients. Thus, the personal behaviour and the counsellors' quality decided the results of a client. Key Concepts The purpose of using person centred approach is to help the client to overcome problems in his life. Specific result is not determined as each client come with different problems. Their ultimate aim is get rid of their issues and to change their personality. A person develops his personality and will be able to use their abilities for the growth. The ultimate aim is accepting them and realizing their responsibilities.(Mearns 2003). There are various key concepts and principles of Person centred model which determine the use of their approach. They are Actualising Tendency A person can realise his responsibilities and grow. But, the proper development of one's personality and the satisfaction in his life determines how well the person is grown as an individual. One cannot realise all his potentials on his own, some may require assistance from trained people to help them in knowing their potential. Since development is a lifelong process, actualizing tendency assists them in deciding what they need to do. Valuing Process Personal growth is achieved only when a person knows what composes the growth. One should have the ability to realise and learn from the experiences in his life. Other psychological methods try to concentrate on the person, whereas person centred approach gives importance to the person's inner thoughts and emotions. If a person's expectation is not met, he gets dejected. (Thorne 2003).As people rely more on others decisions, it becomes difficult to realise his positive and negative qualities. A person should try to come over it to lead a successful life. This will definitely contribute to a person's growth and will help him reach greater heights. Internal perception In a person's life there are various stages and at each stage a person may have certain experiences, perception and this decides how a person behaves. The behaviour of a person should be clearly understood to guide him to become a better person. Then the counsellor should advise the client on how to improve or change his personality. Principles of Person Centred Model The principles which determine the Person centred approach are: Individual's nature The individual's nature determines the person's ability to develop his personality. This is a new way in helping a person to enable him to achieve his target. Every individual will have a different approach towards life that must be known to change his behaviour. (Mulhauser 2009). A person tends to develop the self- concept based on their perceptions and experiences. If one possess a good self-concept, it is easier for him to lead a problem free life. A person should have an open mind to face his experiences and thus have a trust on their own feelings. One must be flexible to adapt to any sort of changes which will make the changing process easier. In this approach each person gets a chance to know about their self which enables one to develop. (Casemore 2006). Thus the individual finds it easy to change and develop his personality as he has found out his inner self and his strengths. Psychological Disturbance A person may get disturbed by the previous experience, success and the failure he faces in his life. The experience generally depends on the situation on which the person grows. It determines the difference on how each person's perception on life and how he treats the self concept. Self concept cannot be achieved immediately. "Acceptance of self the second element in this process of insight is the acceptance of self, or, to put it in perceptual terms, the perception of the related nature of all impulses. The accepting atmosphere of the counselling situation makes it much easier for the individual to recognize all attitudes and impulses. There is not usual need to deny those feelings which are socially unacceptable, or which are not in conformity with the ideal self". (Rogers 208). It requires some time and a person's self concept depends with whom he lives. A person's experiences during the childhood may also affect a person's character. These problems may result in the person losing his self confidence and he finds it difficult to decide on things. A person should evaluate himself to know how well he has improved from the past. The people who constantly interact with the person may influence him more. They may be mocking at him with his negative qualities. If a person is continuously confronted with negative comments and aspects, he tends to get a negative approach on life which leaves a bad impact. "The person centred counsellor is alert to understanding the self concept of her client and will rapidly discover that in most instances the evolution of that self concept has been profoundly affected by the adverse judgement of others. It has also involved an increasingly ambivalent attitude on the individual's part towards his ability to evaluate his own experience." (Mearns, Thorne 12). Psychological disturbance may also depend on his beliefs and disbeliefs. A person should possess a positive approach towards life and day to day activities. The attitude of a person judges his character and how he is respected in the society. If a person realises that his behaviour is not correct, then he should try and change the behaviour immediately so that he need not face severe problems in the future. The outcome of Person centred approach can be successful only if the person cooperates well. The baseline for person centred method is self-acceptance and self concept. The client should be aware of his abilities so that it will help in further development in his professional and personal life. The process starts by implying the core conditions and they must be proved successful. A person should trust himself and his potential and the whole process becomes simple. Client-Counsellor Relationship The counsellor should maintain a cordial relationship with the client so that he will reveal even his inner feelings to the counsellor. The system will prove effective only when both the counsellor and client coordinate and work well. One should really be interested and must believe in himself. Once a person undergoes a change, he need not act in different situation; instead he can easily cope up with any situation he is confronted with. A person may lack many qualities and he should aim at identifying his negative qualities and work hard towards making them positive. With regular practice and proper motivation one can easily change his attitude, behaviour and his way of looking at things. (Rennie 1996). Person centred model is very effective in guiding a person towards self realisation. This method is efficient in helping a person to change his personality. When compared with the other psychological approach, Person centred counselling has more advantages and benefits. It changes the overall personality of an individual by moulding the character of a person in such a way that it is accepted by people in the society. References Rennie, D., (1996). Person Centred Counselling. London: Sage Publications. Thorne, B., (2003). Carl Rogers London: Sage Publications. Casemore, R., (2006). Person Centred Counselling in a Nutshell. London: Sage Publications. Tudor ,K & Worrall M., (2006). Person Centred Therapy. London: Routledge Publications. Mearns, D., (2003). Developing Person Centred Counselling. London: Sage Publications. Adams, N & Grieder d., (2005). Treatment Planning For Person- Centred Care: The Road To Mental Health and Addiction Recovery.U.S.A: Elseiver Academic Press. Rogers, C., (1961). Counselling and Psychotherapy. Massachusett: Riverside Press. Corey, G., (2009). Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy. U.S.A: Thomson Books. Tolan, J., (2003). Skills in Person-Centerd Counselling & Psychotherapy. London: Sage Publications. Mulhauser, G ., 2009. An Introduction To Person- Centred Counselling. [Online]. Available at: http://counsellingresource.com/types/person-centred/ [Accessed 11December2009]. Smull, M & Harrison, S.,2003. Person Centered Planning and Perversion Prevention. [Online]. Available at: http://www.allenshea.com/perversion.html [Accessed: 11 December 2009]. Read More