Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process Practice-Based Skills, Second Edition

(vip2019) #1

44


context for two of the basic tenets of the REM—Patient autonomy must be sup-
ported and Patients are resilient—that serve as underlying values of the profession.
The basic philosophy fundamental to Rogers’ theory involves a positive view of
humans and a trust in the self for greater inner directedness. Rogers believed that
people possess the capacity to become self-aware, to self-direct, and to actualize
into whole, fully functioning individuals (Rogers 1992 ). The aim of therapy in
Rogers’ view is to help clients in their personal growth process so they are better
able to cope with the difficulties they are facing now as well as those that occur in
the future (Corey 1996 ).
Rogers’ basic assumptions about human nature and psychosocial development
have been described as follows (Hjelle and Ziegler 1984 ):



  • People are inherently free to self-actualize. They are able to overcome conditions
    of worth (other’s expectations) to make the choices that help them develop into
    the persons that they become.

  • People are basically rational beings—planful, thoughtful, etc. Irrational behav-
    iors stem from being out of touch with one’s true inner nature.

  • The human self is global, all-inclusive, and whole, not compartmentalized.
    Therefore, one must try to understand a person in her or his entirety.

  • People have the innate potential to self-actualize, but this potential can be com-
    promised by environmental events. Nevertheless, individuals can rise above such
    events.

  • A person’s essence is her or his self-concept or self-perception. The private
    world of experience shapes the self-concept.

  • The actualizing tendency is purposeful and oriented toward the future. People
    grow from, rather than react to, external experience.

  • The actualizing tendency moves an individual toward growth, self-realization,
    and personality enhancement.

  • The actualizing tendency itself leads to constant growth and unfolding
    potential.

  • No one can fully understand another’s private world.


These assumptions form the foundation of Person-Centered Counseling. For
instance, Rogers theorized that the attitudes of the counselor and the quality of the
counselor-client relationship determine the outcome of the counseling process. It is
important to note that the major focus is on the counselor’s way of thinking. Rogers
believed that when the counselor is able to convey key elements, a positive outcome
would follow. He described three key counselor attitudes that he referred to as facili-
tative conditions:



  • Unconditional positive regard: a positive view of clients, the belief that clients
    are coping to the best of their ability, a total respect for who they are as individu-
    als, acceptance of client strengths and weaknesses, a belief that clients have the
    capacity for self-direction, and a focus on the present moment and experience.

  • Empathy: strives to understand the client’s reality, to get into the world of the
    client, and to see things from the client’s perspective.


2 Overview offiGenetic Counseling
Free download pdf