On Becoming a Person

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Maslow might be speaking of clients I have known when he says, “self-actualized people have a wonderful capacity to appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic goods of life with awe, pleasure, wonder, and even ecstasy, however stale these experiences may be for other people.” (4, p. 214)” In relation to No. 17, Rogers is known for practicing " unconditional positive regard", which is defined as accepting a person "without negative judgment of .... [a person's] basic worth". [24] Development of the personality [ edit ] The Seven Stages are only a formulation to provide structure to a concept of a change 'processing' which is inherently intangible and fluid which is understood through abstract inferences from Roger’s naturalist observational approach. As previously stated, Rogers himself formulised the stages this way to lend the hypotheses to falsifiability. Because therapy itself (regardless of change) can be so varied and bespoke, the limitations inherent in language make it even more difficult to articulate any form of process in a way that preserves its richness, fluency and nuance (Tudor & Worrell, 2006)

Psychological maladjustment exists when the organism denies awareness of significant sensory and visceral experiences, which consequently are not symbolized and organized into the gestalt of the self structure. When this situation exists, there is a basic or potential psychological tension. Another study on patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) showed that those who offered other MS patients peer support actually experienced greater benefits than their supported peers, including more pronounced improvement of confidence, self-awareness, self-esteem, depression, and daily functioning. Those who offered support generally found that their lives were dramatically changed for the better. As a result of interaction with the environment, and particularly as a result of evaluative interaction with others, the structure of the self is formed—an organized, fluid but consistent conceptual pattern of perceptions of characteristics and relationships of the "I" or the "me", together with values attached to these concepts. Helping others may seem like an obvious route to becoming a better person. We often think of "good people" as those who are willing to sacrifice for others. This, in the minds of many, is what makes a person "good." However, good deeds can also make us better people because of the connection between altruism and emotional well-being.The organism has one basic tendency and striving—to actualize, maintain and enhance the experiencing organism. For example, one study found that dialysis patients, transplant patients, and family members who became support volunteers for other patients experienced increased personal growth and emotional well-being. So while I still hate to readjust my thinking, still hate to give up old ways of perceiving and conceptualizing, yet at some deeper level I have, to a considerable degree, come to realize that these painful reorganizations are what is known as learning,” Letting go of anger isn't always easy. But the first step is learning more about recognizing anger and knowing what to do when you feel angry in your life.

The conviction grows in me that we shall discover laws of personality and behavior which are as significant for human progress or human understanding as the law of gravity or the laws of thermodynamics.” Cushing, James Stevenson (1905). The genealogy of the Cushing family, an account of the ancestors and descendants of Matthew Cushing, who came to America in 1638. Montreal: The Perrault printing co. p. 380. LCCN 06032460. Rogers suggested that the incongruent individual, who is always on the defensive and cannot be open to all experiences, is not functioning ideally and may even be malfunctioning. They work hard at maintaining and protecting their self-concept. Because their lives are not authentic, this is difficult, and they are under constant threat. They deploy defense mechanisms to achieve this. He describes two mechanisms: distortion and denial. Distortion occurs when the individual perceives a threat to their self-concept. They distort the perception until it fits their self-concept. This defensive behavior reduces the consciousness of the threat but not the threat itself. And so, as the threats mount, the work of protecting the self-concept becomes more difficult and the individual becomes more defensive and rigid in their self-structure. If the incongruity is immoderate this process may lead the individual to a state that would typically be described as neurotic. Their functioning becomes precarious and psychologically vulnerable. If the situation worsens it is possible that the defenses cease to function altogether and the individual becomes aware of the incongruity of their situation. Their personality becomes disorganised and bizarre; irrational behavior, associated with earlier denied aspects of self, may erupt uncontrollably. American Academy of Psychotherapists History of the Academy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-10 . Retrieved 2008-01-31.Increasing organismic trust: they trust their own judgment and ability to choose behavior appropriate for each moment. They do not rely on existing codes and social norms but trust that as they are open to experiences they will be able to trust their own sense of right and wrong. Rogers originally developed his theory as the foundation for a system of therapy. He initially called it "non-directive therapy" but later replaced the term "non-directive" with "client-centered", and still later "person-centered". Even before the publication of Client-Centered Therapy in 1951, Rogers believed the principles he was describing could be applied in a variety of contexts, not just in therapy. As a result, he started to use the term person-centered approach to describe his overall theory. Person-centered therapy is the application of the person-centered approach to therapy. Other applications include a theory of personality, interpersonal relations, education, nursing, cross-cultural relations and other "helping" professions and situations. In 1946 Rogers co-authored "Counseling with Returned Servicemen" with John L. Wallen (the creator of the behavioral model known as The Interpersonal Gap), [27] documenting the application of person-centered approach to counseling military personnel returning from World War II. Stein, Arthur (1985). Seeds of the Seventies: Values, Work, and Commitment in Post-Vietnam America. University Press of New England, p. 136 (on Rogers as "founding sponsor" of the Alliance's newsletter) and pp. 134–139 (on the Alliance generally). ISBN 978-0-87451-343-1. You can experience flow by writing, dancing, creating, or absorbing new material that you can teach others. In terms of self-care strategies, there are several that can help, but some of the most important aspects of self-care include the basics: