PSYCHOTHERAPY 135
abilities to function, and in turn
we can get the greatest satisfaction
from our experiences. We have not
raised our defenses to shut off any
part of the self, so we are able to
experience everything fully. Once
we escape from the rut of the
preconceptions of the mind, we can
allow ourselves to soar. Rather than
organizing our experience to suit
our idea of the world, we “discover
structure in experience.”
This openness is not for the
faint-hearted, Rogers states; it
requires a level of bravery on the
part of the individual. We don’t
need to fear any type of feeling, he
says—we need only to allow the
full flow of cognition and
experience. With true access to a
fuller range of processing
experience, each of us is more able
to find the path that truly suits our
authentic self—this is the fully
functioning individual that Rogers
urges us to become. We are always
growing, and Rogers emphasizes
that the direction in which people
move—when there is freedom to
move in any direction—is generally
the direction they are best suited
for, and that is best suited for them.
Unconditional acceptance
In contrast to the views of many
of his predecessors in the field of
psychotherapy, Rogers believed
that people are, in their essence,
healthy and good; and that mental
and emotional well-being is the
natural progression for human
nature. These beliefs are the
foundation of an approach that
regards patients in an entirely
positive light, one of absolute,
unconditional acceptance. Rogers
asked that his patients learn to do
the same for themselves and for
others. This perspective, grounded
in compassion and the recognition
of the potential of each and every
individual, is famously termed
“unconditional positive regard.”
Rogers believed that all people,
not just his patients, needed to be
able to view themselves in this
way, as well as those around them
and their environment.
Unconditional self-acceptance
and unconditional acceptance of
others are vital, and when these
are lacking, people fail to remain
open to experience. Rogers
maintained that many of
us have very strong, strident,
specific conditions that must be
met before we will grant approval
or acceptance. We also baseself-worth and regard for others
on achievements or appearance,
rather than accepting people
as they are.
Parents may inadvertently
teach children that they are
worthy of affection only if certain
requirements are met, offering
them rewards and praise when
they eat their vegetables or get
an A grade in physics, but fail
to love them openly just for
themselves. Rogers calls these
requirements “conditions of worth,”
believing that the tendency of
humankind to demand that
people and things match our
arbitrary expectations does
all of us a great disservice.
Achievements are to be
respected, he says, but they are
both separate and secondary
to acceptance, which is a basic
human need, and does not have
to be “earned” through deeds
or action. Rogers says that the
value of an individual is ❯❯Love that is conditional on an action
or situation—for example, on achieving
A grades at school or eating the right
foods—can leave children feeling
unworthy and unaccepted.No other person’s ideas,
and none of my own ideas,
are as authoritative
as my experience.
Carl Rogers