On Becoming a Person

"Having for the last two years been a student of the integrative approach with an emphasis on the humanistic paradigm, I was fascinated by Roger's own journey and reasoning behind his Core Conditions as well as his presentation of the humanistic paradigm in its original form.

My only criticisms of this book are it's repetitiveness (better editing required in bringing together the constituent papers) and it's verbosity, which only serves to obfuscate the subject matter.

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~ Written on 2008-01-14

"This book by Carl Rogers on client-centered therapy may lack the drama, the force or the cleverness associated with some books on other forms of psychotherapy. What it doesn't seem to lack is a quiet wisdom that flowed from Rogers' many years of experience and sensitivity to his patients.

Despite some redundancy, being a collection of papers and presentations from Rogers over many years, "On Becoming A Person":

1) presents a branch of psychotherapy distinct from psychoanalysis and learning theories as well as from behaviorism, focused more on basically well people growing than on helping disturbed people get better.

2) is rooted in Roger's positive view of human nature as basically good and constructive, as he discovered in encounters with his patients. Roger's emphasis on empathic understanding, on not imposing theoretical speculations about the clients state of mind and on avoiding forceful interference would seem to avoid some of the abuses associated with some other psychotherapies.

3) presents ideas about the helping relationship that Rogers extended from psychotherapy into other areas such as education. Rogers's nondirective approach suggested to him the possibility of a progressive education free of examinations, of grades, of conclusions, and even of teachers.

4) despite its "fuzziness", Rogers does present some experimental evidence in favor of client-centered therapy as compared to those based on learning theory and behaviorism.

5) Rogers' shows appreciation of the growing power of the behavioral sciences but expresses concern less this science, like other sciences, becomes manipulated by politicians to the detriment of people. He basically wonders, if a culture is to be designed, as Skinner had suggested, what safeguards there are on the designer.

Rogers may seem too rosy and to be cherry-picking his results. The kind of measurements he presents, such as a psychological test measuring "changes in the self" based on self reporting may seem too fuzzy. How long it takes, compared to other available approaches, to get effective change seems not to have been a primary consideration for Rogers and may explain the rise of more recent approaches like Cognitive Therapy and Constructive Living. As a lay person, I respect the humane treatment Rogers recommended toward those entering psychotherapy as clients.

A major contribution by Rogers seems to be his recognition that his clients were not objects to do things to but rather fellow people whose experience he could share in. "
~ Written on 2007-10-15

"I am currently trying to read this book in preparation for a counselling diploma beginning next month. Having already read Rogers's book, "A Way of Being", I thought I would enjoy "On Becoming a Person", however I am struggling to be engaged with it.
I think the problem is that I feel as though I am just covering ground that he has already discussed in A WAY OF BEING. While I agree that for a relationship to be helpful there has to be the core conditions of empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence, I feel as though I need more than just this if I am to develop as a counsellor. I feel as though you need to have some knowledge of how your clients can help their situations - people come to counselling because they want to improve aspects of their life, and I am not sure that just the core conditions are enough.
While I shall try and continue with ON BECOMING A PERSON for my course, I have already started looking for alternative books whcih may offer more. One that has caught my eye is Egan's SKILLED HELPER - a book which suposedly takes Rogers's core conditions as a starting point, but then develops ways of actually helping clients meet goals which would be helpful to them."
~ Written on 2006-08-30

"This is a guide to counselling written by someone who had individuals who where frequently lonely, miserable and rich approach him for counselling, his clients where willing to engage with counselling, had some idea of what they wanted from counselling and where paying for every session,

as a result some of his recommendations about unconditional positive regard, friendly counselling and little or no highlighting of inconsistencies or goal setting from the outset can be understood,

however I would recommend Egan instead, his three steps model of counselling, beginning with a brief stage of positive regard, establishing communication through listening, active listening, rephrasing, paraphrasing etc. moving on to a stage of challenging inconsistencies, rational/cognitive behaviour theraphy, goal setting to a final phase of evaluation, review etc.

in Egan there is most of the suggestions you'll find in Rogers and more, plus its better for real world counselling situations, where people are often confused about what counselling is, its purpose or outright resistant, "
~ Written on 2006-06-04

"Excelliant read. Very hard to put down."
~ Written on 2005-07-27