Person centred theory came from Carl Rogers who believed in being warm, genuine and understanding make a difference in clients’ condition and its improvement. Believes and values are very important in person centred thinking and planning. Carl Rogers identified three main core conditions that have a significant influence when supporting vulnerable people, which are an unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence. However, later on he expands his list to a six core conditions in total.
“1. Two persons are in Psychological contact.
2. The first, whom we shall term the client, is in a state of incongruence, being vulnerable or anxious.
3. The second person, whom we shall term the therapist is congruence or integrated in the relationship.
4. The therapist experiences unconditional positive regard for the client.
5. The therapist experiences an empathic understanding of the clients’ internal frame of reference and endeavours to communicate this experience to the client.
6. The communication to the client of the therapist’s empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved.”
Person-centred approach talks about growth-promoting climate, which is all about enabling people to discover the capacity of relationships as a right place for growth and change. Instead of looking at relationships as perspective of how can things get treated or cured, but how can one provide the right support in an improved relationships for clients to grow individuals. It is believed that individuals have recourses for basic attitudes, self-understanding and self-directed behaviour therefore they only need an inspiring and supporting relationships for their growth-promoting climate.
Person-centred thinking is based on the individual; it looks at what is important to that particular person, what are ones values, hopes and possible achievements.