Person-centered therapy is a counseling approach that emphasizes the importance of the client’s strengths and perceptions about him or herself. It places a focus on how the client’s thoughts and feelings affect their actions. More specifically, person-centered therapy is grounded in Carl Rogers’ theory of “personhood” which holds that people are inherently good and that they can use their own experiences to reach their full potential.
Both person-centered therapy and Rogerian therapy are grounded in Carl Rogers’ theory of “personhood” which holds that people are inherently good. “Personhood” is also sometimes called the “self-actualizing tendency”. In Rogers’ view, humans naturally move progressively towards self-actualization as they learn to trust their own perceptions and feelings.
Rogers had a pragmatic focus on an individual’s current state and how it could be improved rather than on exploring childhood experiences or early development. He believed that psychotherapy should help an individual develop an accurate conception of him or herself and of the world, and improve his or her capacity for making more satisfying choices. Person-centered therapy, like other forms of counseling, can be very helpful to individuals who are dealing with issues that are causing them distress. It is likely the most beneficial for people who want to find their purpose and meaning in life. It can also help those experiencing anxiety or depression, as well as those who want to learn how to relate to others more effectively.
Person-centered therapy can also help people with low self-esteem navigate their way through life. Because it encourages them to look at the ways in which they are active participants in creating their own lives. It is based on the assumption that everyone has what it takes to be successful and that all people have the potential to achieve their greatest fulfillment by making choices from a position of self-awareness. It also creates the opportunity for a person with low self-esteem to explore how they have allowed others to define them, as well as how they can define themselves in ways that are more empowering. APA