Until you make your life your own, you’re walking around in borrowed clothes.”– Warren Bennis CREDIBILITY Language consists of silent listening and speaking. It’s use is not just to describe reality, it creates stories in the mind that give meaning to what is observed or imagined, giving an intention to the resulting actions. Conversations you have with others can also have a powerful influence over what you decide to do and how you do it. Deep listening is vital because it’s present in all human interactions. Used effectively it can enhance your communications and relationships. Speaking is also key when used intentionally. Learning how to use basic Speech Acts, will expand what’s possible when working in partnership with others to deliver shared outcomes. EMOTIONS/MOODS

Carl Rogers Quotes for use in counselling assignments Carl Rogers Quotes for use in counselling assignments

The Actualising Tendency is one of the most important theoretical components of Person-Centred Counselling. It refers to the motivational force that Rogers believed was in ALL living organisms. urn:isbn:0547524447 Scandate 20100825044357 Scanner scribe4.sfdowntown.archive.org Scanningcenter sfdowntown Worldcat (source edition) This refers to the somewhat paradoxical idea that only by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can we truly access experiences such as joy, love and creativity—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable, but are at the centre of wholehearted living (Brown, B, 2010). Through data collected from the life stories of over ten thousand men and women, Brené Brown found that “if we want to live and love with our whole hearts, and if we want to engage with the world from a place of worthiness, we have to talk about the things that get in the way – especially shame, fear and vulnerability” (Brown, B, 2010, p.36). This is particularly true in a competitive culture where projecting strength and perfection is ubiquitous. If you learn better visually, then you can watch a video of me outlining the same theory on YouTube here.The book is a collection of Rogers’ papers done on different aspects of his person centred approach, organised into three main sections: personal experiences and perspectives, the person centred approach in psychotherapy, and it’s application in education. It looks like I’m an outlier in giving this 1 star, so I might leave a few lines of explanation. If, like me, you have never read anything else by Rogers, don’t start with this book. I didn't cry because the subject matter is sad. I cried because I recognized something in it. I was at the time struggling to become a person, a real person rather than an affectless wooden boy. Rogers shows us what is possible. He shows us a way to empathy, a fascinating journey into the experience of the other. This book is a guidepost towards phenomenology in the abstract and humanity in the concrete. To Rubin, art is the ultimate form of self-actualization, a noble calling that enriches the soul . . . So, how does an artist move from conception to creation? Rubin methodically lays out the process, offering a mixture of encouragement, inspiration and tips . . . Rubin has written a fascinating book infused with deep thoughts, insight and, yes, lots and lots of creativity.” — Los Angeles Times Anyway, Carl Rogers is badass. I taught Introduction to Psychology this summer for the third time, and whenever we discuss his person-centered approach, I get bemused questions such as, "So he just...listened to his clients? Really listened to them? And it worked?" Well, yes. Essentially, Carl Rogers articulated the idea that what makes a therapist helpful is not how many degrees a therapist has, or how many fancy and completely non-parsimonious theories they espouse, but how well they connect to their clients, and if they can actually provide unconditional positive regard--the idea that a therapist doesn't have to like or condone things that clients do, but does have to accept them as worthwhile human beings, no matter their circumstances or actions. This is not just some warm and fuzzy idea; decades after Rogers first started writing, we now have a strong body of evidence that the type of therapy matters far, far less than how much you like and trust the person you're graciously allowing to help you.

A Way of Being – Life Leadership A Way of Being – Life Leadership

My experience in therapy and in groups makes it impossible for me to deny the reality and significance of human choice. To me it is not an illusion that man is to some degree the architect of himself. I have presented evidence that the degree of self-understanding is perhaps the most important factor in predicting the individual's behavior. So for me the humanistic approach is the only possible one. … Choosing the humanistic philosophy… means an approach to social change based on the human desire and potentiality for change, not on conditioning. It leads to a deeply democratic political philosophy rather than management by an elite. So the choice does have consequences.” While it is conceivable that some of us might find fulfilment by taking a general interest in the world, I postulate that most of us would be attracted to certain pursuits, be it carpentry, beekeeping, coaching or trekking. Ken Robinson coined the term “the Element” to describe “the place where the things you love to do and the things you are good at come together” (Robinson and Aronica, 2009, p.8). Robinson believes the Element manifests itself differently in every person and that we need it “to make the best of ourselves and of each other” (Robinson and Aronica, 2009, p.xiv). Although we may struggle to understand or accept the ways in which some people live, they are doing the best that they can with the situations they are facing. We all have very different ways of dealing with situations and also very different impacts from the ways that we have grown, developed and struggled throughout our entire life, particularly in childhood.

Discover

To be a person...this would be painful, costly, sometimes even terrifying. But it would be very precious: to be oneself is worth a high price." Ironically, Rogers says at the beginning of the book that he attributes his success in part to the fact that he made low-level testable claims, yet he repeatedly talks about psychic phenomena, the paranormal, and telepathy. If I didn’t know who the author was, I would say the book often reads like it was written by a self-appointed New Age babble-guru, interspersed with the odd psychology reference to sound legit.

PACE: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy - GIRFEC PACE: Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy - GIRFEC

Your Way of Being contains your perceptions and attitudes, which are deep-seated and out of awareness, the drivers of your behaviour and communication. They are learned through the history of life experiences. It’s your response to how the world appears to you and how you access a deeper awareness of it. It shapes your worldview through the language you use, the emotions and moods you express, the body states you adopt and the relationships you experience as a result. This is the first book by Rogers that I've read. I found it inspiring in it's humanistic philosophy and light on details. Rogers writes a lot about the efficacy of encounter groups without detailing what actually happens in them. He includes excerpts from interviews and letters about the transformative experience of being seen by the therapist without describing how to recreate that environment. He speculates about the feelings of large groups of people and how they can spontaneously organize without including what they accomplish through that organization. It just feels like there is not much of an emphasis on the reproducible, falsifiable thinking and evidence that I look for in psychology reading. It does feel like Carl Rogers thinks expressing feelings is valuable. I'm just not convinced that simple expression is enough to confront the material problems that often intersect with the mental anguish we face.

My Book Notes

If you enjoyed these books, your will like The Creative Act: A Way of Being and the other way round:

A Way of Being - Carl Ransom Rogers - Google Books

In my own experience, I had heard of Dr. Rogers before but had never read anything by him. Mostly I heard of him when other writers would reference his work, but I don't remember any particular cases. A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment.”—Anne Lamott A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment." --Anne Lamott This means that we are always trying to grow and develop to the best of our ability, in whatever circumstances that we find ourselves in, taking into account, our self-concept (much more of this below). Potentially damaged but ever-present urn:lcp:wayofbeing00roge:epub:1d680fd6-4b9b-4b4d-b0a2-4efb8ef9ef0e Extramarc University of Alberta Libraries Foldoutcount 0 Identifier wayofbeing00roge Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t82j7664w Isbn 0395299152Yet, the directional tendency in them can be trusted. The clue to understanding their behavior is that they are striving, in the only ways that they perceive as available to them, to move toward growth, toward becoming. To healthy persons, the results may seem bizarre and futile, but they are life’s desperate attempt to become itself. This potent constructive tendency is an underlying basis of the person-centered approach. Carl Rogers – A Way of Being (1980) p.119 Personal credibility is the foundation of all trust. Are your intentions sincere and do you care about what you promise? Do you remain reliable and capable, even when mistakes are made? Your Way of Being needs to demonstrate respect, being prepared to listen, to clarify expetations and confront reality with genuine concern and straight talking.