Cloudy1′s Blog
Just another WordPress.com weblogCarl Rogers – a few thoughts
In terms of Carl Rogers, the person, there can be no doubt that he was an extremely well respected individual. His commitment to his counselling can be seen when you see where he travelled to to help with conflict, e.g. Belfast, and indeed being nominated for a Nobel Peace prize is no mean fete. So why then have I not heard of him until discussing the Person Centred approach in my studies and why am I still not convinced that this type of guidance counselling is fool proof?
On reading his life story it makes me wonder if his deep christian beliefs enabled him to create the PC approach because he really connected to that part of his religion for helping and supporting people through all situations
OR
whether the fact that in the confessional environment the Minister/Priest etc will give you their opinion and tell you what you have done wrong and punish you in order to resolve your guilt/sins and Rogers felt that this was not solving anything and that the individual should be allowed to confess all without the black cloud of judgement hanging over their heads? Rogers wrote “if we give advice we become the advice-giver who is superior to the recipient” (1961,p38) is this how he felt religious “counselling” came across to the individual?
That’s a good question. I think that Rogers probably developed his PC approach for BOTH these reasons – based on what he regarded as the good AND the bad in his religious background.