Encouragement is a well-known subject in psychotherapy, being utilized in a variety of approaches and popularized by figures such as Alfred Adler. However, other figures place far less importance on the concept of encouragement. As a primary example, Carl Rogers does not use encouragement in his psychotherapeutic approaches and practice. There are a number of potential reasons, stemming primarily from the core beliefs of the man. Firstly, as stated by research regarding Rogers’ psychotherapeutic solutions, he believed in the existence of certain “core conditions” that are able to positively influence a client’s mental well-being (Kirschenbaum & Jourdan, 2005). Taking this in mind, the exact therapeutic approach was less relevant than influencing the underlying factors such as empathetic understanding and unconditional positive regard (Kirschenbaum & Jourdan, 2005). According to Rogers’s theories, there is no direct need to practice interpersonal encouragement.
Additionally, it can be said that the term encouragement as a whole is loosely defined within psychotherapy. Individual practitioners understand the scope, approaches and guidelines towards promoting encouragement in clients differently. Therefore, the actual relevance and effectiveness of such interaction remain hypothetical. As a last point to consider, Rogers, in his practice and writing, maintained the concept of self-actualization as an alternative to encouragement. In his theories, the change should come as a result of reflection from within, a concentrated effort by the person themselves, which leads to change. Considering these three factors as a whole clearly shows why Carl Rogers did not practice encouragement in psychotherapy. A lack of definitive guidelines or clear understanding, coupled with other existing principles that could be used to solve the same problems, leads to encouragement being unnecessary.
Reference
Kirschenbaum, H., & Jourdan, A. (2005). The current status of Carl Rogers and the person-centered approach. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 42(1), 37–51. Web.