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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I adore Rogers and am so grateful for the contributions he has made to psychotherapy. However, this essay collection was a total slog. Rogers presents the same core ideas over and over and over again... I feel like if repetition was edited out this book would be 1/4 of the length. On top of that, Rogers presents his theory and the evidence compellingly, but does not provide concrete details on how to achieve these ideals.
2/5
2/5
Rogers' theory is so important and something I have faith in, but as a read this mostly felt dry and a bit of a drag. With it being put together from his lectures through his career it often felt repetitive. The scientific studies included were interesting but not always engaging, and I craved more client examples. A brilliant, pioneering man but for me it's not a great book.
These essays and papers written by Carl Rogers remind me just how beautiful therapy is when we embrace the complexities of our human experiences. Despite the wealth of knowledge and research he shares, it is written in such an accessible way that you don’t need a degree in psychology to understand.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
informative
inspiring
'To be the self, one truly is ' is the core thesis of this book. For realising our true self, the need is to free ourselves from all the facades : pleasing others, trying to be good etc. We can then begin by accepting our real feeling. With it, comes the beginning of trusting ourself. It is the rise of a creative human being who is willing to take life as a endless river in constant flux.
For unlocking our potentialities, the therapist or the other person must be himself aware of his own attitude. There is a significant emphasis on ' EMPATHETIC LISTENING'. It means that we listen to the other person without evaluation, judgements and negative attitudes. We listen to help the individual explore his self. There is an interesting experiment mentioned in the book on classroom teaching. the students are allowed to say what they really experience, while Rogers engages in deep listening. At the end of the course, there are understanding and meaningful relationships between the people which facilitate growth. This can be applied in family, inter- group discussions etc.
This work can have transformative impact of the reader. there are profound questions raised on the nature of interactions we have with each other, what it is to be free etc.the answers have to be explored by us.
For unlocking our potentialities, the therapist or the other person must be himself aware of his own attitude. There is a significant emphasis on ' EMPATHETIC LISTENING'. It means that we listen to the other person without evaluation, judgements and negative attitudes. We listen to help the individual explore his self. There is an interesting experiment mentioned in the book on classroom teaching. the students are allowed to say what they really experience, while Rogers engages in deep listening. At the end of the course, there are understanding and meaningful relationships between the people which facilitate growth. This can be applied in family, inter- group discussions etc.
This work can have transformative impact of the reader. there are profound questions raised on the nature of interactions we have with each other, what it is to be free etc.the answers have to be explored by us.
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Rogers proposes a brilliant theory of psychotherapy, bridging what seems at times the unbridgeable gap between psychoanalysis and the cognitive-behavioural approach, while at the same time formulating thought-provoking critiques of both approaches. What's brilliant about this book is the way it constitutes an in-depth approach to client-centered therapy, and afterwards, Rogers fully explores the possible ramifications of the theory he has generated, including but not limited to its implications in the broader social spectrum, the social sciences, education, art, and creativity itself. Then, in the final chapters of the book, Rogers carefully attempts to asses the place of his theory in the corpus of knowledge of psychology and science in general, confronting two conflicting views and, once again, reconciling them; that of the objective vs. the subjective, as well as its implications for freedom and the conception of man we currently hold.
Perhaps the entire work of Rogers can be seen through the previous statement; he sets out to reconcile apparent opposites. However, while he doesn't always succeeds in that endeavor, he never quite fails...some of the most fundamental concepts in client-centered theory are dark and hard to grasp on a first attempt, such as what he holds to be unconditional positive regard, as well as what he establishes to be the true nature of man. Perhaps this is the most common source of confusion, as it often feels that Rogers underestimates the dark aspects of human psyche. After a careful analysis, I've come to believe that this is not true, although I still have my doubts. However, this speaks highly of the nature of the material, which is the true essence of client-centered therapy; it's purpose is to provoke thought, but leaves the content and interpretation of such entirely up to the reader.
The only negative side I found to this book is that it gets too repetitive at times. While it's true that each chapter adds a new dimension to previously established concepts, it holds no regard for conciseness, as it goes through the terms all over again, again, and again. However, I strongly feel that this is due to the book mainly being a compilation of individual papers Rogers published through the years.
Perhaps the entire work of Rogers can be seen through the previous statement; he sets out to reconcile apparent opposites. However, while he doesn't always succeeds in that endeavor, he never quite fails...some of the most fundamental concepts in client-centered theory are dark and hard to grasp on a first attempt, such as what he holds to be unconditional positive regard, as well as what he establishes to be the true nature of man. Perhaps this is the most common source of confusion, as it often feels that Rogers underestimates the dark aspects of human psyche. After a careful analysis, I've come to believe that this is not true, although I still have my doubts. However, this speaks highly of the nature of the material, which is the true essence of client-centered therapy; it's purpose is to provoke thought, but leaves the content and interpretation of such entirely up to the reader.
The only negative side I found to this book is that it gets too repetitive at times. While it's true that each chapter adds a new dimension to previously established concepts, it holds no regard for conciseness, as it goes through the terms all over again, again, and again. However, I strongly feel that this is due to the book mainly being a compilation of individual papers Rogers published through the years.
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced