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Unconditional Positive Regard
Unconditional Positive Regard
Different psychologists have come up with different approaches to the psychotherapy in a bid to make the process more effective in addressing clients’ needs. One of the initial approaches put forward in this field is the Person-Centred therapeutic approach which was proposed and developed by Carl Rogers, a human psychologist, in the 1940s and 50s. According to Rogers, every person has an in-built ability or actualizing tendency which functions to naturally facilitate the process of personal growth and development (Rogers, 1961). However, for the process to occur naturally and successfully; a favourable environment is paramount and this involves the interaction of three core conditions, namely; empathic understanding, congruence and unconditional positive regard.
Empathetic understanding involves a deep and active understanding of the client’s subjective experiences and awareness of his or her emotional world (Bozarth, 1998). Accurate empathy requires the therapist to put him or her self in the client’s ‘shoes’ so that they can truly understand the client’s cognitive and emotional feelings. On the other hand, congruence or what is commonly known as genuineness requires therapists to express themselves to the client in a real, sincere and transparent manner in regard to their feelings and reactions, without creating a notion that they are the experts or facades of detached objectivity.
The third core condition for effective therapy is unconditional positive regard which requires the therapist to genuinely develop a liking and acceptance for the client regardless of their behaviour. This however does not mean that the therapist must approve or condone the client’s behaviour but rather, it means that he or she must be able to separate the sins from the sinner thereby not judging the sinner according to his sins (Corey, 2005). For effective therapy, a fourth factor has also been added and this calls for the therapist to listen and learn from the client.
Unconditional positive regard
The term Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) was coined by Carl Rogers in the 1940s and it generally refers to the ability of an individual to show love and acceptance to another individual without judging them according to their behaviour. Unconditional Positive Regard forms the basis of Person-Centred counselling whereby the client is seen as the custodian of their own experiences and personal growth ((Rogers, 1965). In psychotherapy, UPR refers to the therapist’s ability to accept and attend to the client unconditionally and non-judgementally. This kind of an attitude by the therapists is aimed at nurturing client growth and enhance self acceptance by encouraging the client to explore and express their feelings, thoughts and fears, without the fear of being judged or condemned by the therapist.
Components of UPR
There are a number of components that constitute unconditional positive regard in a therapeutic process (Rodgers, 1992). Some of the key components include; respecting the client as a person, being non-judgemental, accepting the person’s opinions, views, values and beliefs regardless of how absurd they may be, valuing the client and treating them as unique and valuable, showing genuine care and concern for person, showing empathy and not sympathy towards the situation that he or she is going through, expressing unconditional and non-possessive love for the person, and last but not least, nurturing and encouraging personal growth in the client.
Importance of UPR in psychotherapy
According to Rogers, unconditional positive regard is one of the most important conditions in person-centred therapy as it helps to facilitate the healing process and ensure positive outcomes in the therapeutic process (Rogers, 1992). In counselling, UPR provides the client with the freedom to explore their experiences, thoughts and feelings as themselves without any pressure or external demands. In this case, the client feels safe and is encouraged to explore deeper dimensions of their inner-selves and explore new options and opportunities thereby enhancing personal growth and development.
In enhancing psychological healing, UPR creates an environment of warmth and acceptance hence allowing the therapist to positively challenge the client in a constructive way (Wilkins, 2000). This helps the client to develop a sense of responsibility for their own actions and consequences thereby enhancing the process of healing. Moreover, the feeling of freedom cultivated by UPR gives the client the power to explore the many options that life presents as they realized that they are no longer imprisoned by circumstances and past experiences.
Challenges
Unconditional positive regard posses a major challenge for counsellors in the therapeutic process. This is because it requires therapists to control and restrict themselves from expressing any form of personal judgemental feelings, and accept the client unconditionally regardless of the content of the disclosure made by the client (Nelson-Jones, 2002). Some of the inhibitors which prevent the therapist from giving UPR to the client include; lack of proper training and experience in the area of counselling, a general dislike for the client as a person as well as personal prejudices, among others. In order to be able to convey UPR to the clients effectively, counsellors are required to undergo specific counselling training sessions where they acquire special skills for the same purpose.
On the other hand, some clients may fail to experience UPR despite efforts by the therapist to demonstrate it throughout the therapeutic process. Certain personality character traits such as defensiveness, aggressiveness and vulnerability have also been found to hinder clients from experiencing total unconditional positive regard in therapy (Thomas & Woods, 2003). In such cases, the therapist is required to pay even closer attention towards their own behaviour and the way they demonstrate UPR to the client since even the slightest form of judgement is likely to scare away the client.
Unconditional acceptance and condoning behaviour
As it has already mentioned above, conveying unconditional positive regard through unconditional acceptance as proposed by Rogers does not mean that the therapist must condone the client’s behaviour (Rodgers, 1965). In this case, accepting a person’s behaviour unconditionally does not necessary translate into condoning all the types of behaviour they exhibit. For instance, a counsellor who is dealing with a client who has been involved in mass murder is expected to show acceptance for the client’s feelings of anger at being charged with the crime unconditionally (Prouty, 2004). However in such a case, the therapist does not necessarily have to agree with the client’s decision to commit the murder; but at the same time, he or she is not supposed to express condemnation towards the client for having committed the crime.
Unconditional love
One of the key components of UPR in psychotherapy is expressing unconditional love for the client. According to Brennam Manning, a former Roman Catholic priest, this love can be likened to the unconditional love of God which represents a true picture of God’s grace to mankind through the gospel of Jesus Christ (Manning, 1990). In this case, the sacrificial death of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ who died for the sins of all mankind, presents a perfect example of unconditional love. Having been created in the image of God, all believers should strive to know Christ and become like Him by expressing unconditional love towards fellow men, the same way Christ died for all sinners (1 Peter 4: 1).
In the spiritual context, Manning exhorts that all believers should express unconditional love and acceptance towards fellow human beings the same way God gave His only begotten son to die and sanctify the sins of mankind with no demand for allegiance. From a Biblical point of view, unconditional love and acceptance is seen in various scriptures (Crabb, 1986). A good example of one such scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5: 14, Paul urges all believers to confront, warn and rebuke any brethren who is rebellious, timid and wilfully wrong but in so doing, they should also be patient, kind and non-judgemental towards everyone.
Conclusion
Though Rodger’s theory of person-centred therapeutic approach was created in a different time and age, its principles still remain highly relevant and effective in any therapeutic situation today. These principles have especially been found to be effective when dealing with cases of depression and low self esteem whereby they enhance the healing process by providing unconditional love and acceptance for the client (Greenberg & Watson, 1998).
In psychotherapy, unconditional positive regard promotes personal growth and facilitates the healing process by helping the client to come to terms and accept the outcomes of a certain traumatic event or psychological problem. Apart from psychotherapy, Roger’s theory can be applied to other aspects of life as it helps to develop harmonious relationships between spouses, parents and their children, and people in society at large, based on mutual respect, empathy and congruence.
References
Bozarth, J. (1998). Person-centered Therapy: A Revolutionary Paradigm. PCCS Books Ltd
Corey, G. (2005). Theory and Practice of Counseling & Psychotherapy. Belmont, CA: Thomson
Books Ltd
Crabb, L. (1986). Effective Biblical Counseling: A Model for Helping Caring Christians Become
Capable Counsellors. Zondervan publishers
Greenberg L., & Watson J. (1998) Experiential Therapy of Depression: Differential Effects of
Client-Centered Relationship Conditions and Process Experiential Interventions; Journal for Psychotherapy Research, Vol. 8, Number 2, pp. 210- 224
Manning, B. (1990). The Ragamuffin Gospel: Embracing the Unconditional Love of God.
Multnomah Books Ltd
Nelson-Jones, R (2002). The Theory and Practice of Counselling Psychology. Eastbourne: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston Publishers
Prouty, G. (2004). Theoretical evolutions in person-centered/ experiential therapy:
Applications to schizophrenic and retarded psychosis. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers
Rogers, C. (1965). Client-centered Therapy: Its Current Practice, Implications and Theory.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1951 (paperback edition 1965)
Rogers C. (1961). On Becoming a Person. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Rogers, C. (1992). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Dec 1992, vol. 60, No. 6 pp. 827-832
Thomas, D. & Woods, H. (2003). Working with people with learning disabilities: Theory and
Practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003
Wilkins, P. (2000). Unconditional positive regard reconsidered. British Journal of Guidance
and Counseling, 28, 1, 23–36
Paper-D-Reflective-Paper
uMUC
Reflective Paper
IFSM 304
3/4/2014
When approaching the thought of taking another ethics class, I really was not as enthusiastic as I should have been. I had what some would call a young man’s attitude about things. I felt like this was just another class and I could just breeze through things. I thought since I had a career that I had been in for the last 8 years, I know all about ethics. But I was under the impression that as long as you did what you thought was right then you are being ethical, But during ethics in information technology class that there are a lot of other things that come into play when you are placed in real world situations.
I learned that when dealing with technology there are multiply people who are investing in you as a technician making the correct choice that is why you should take your time to make decisions and weight out your options. During this course I was put in situations where Reynolds’ seven steps of ethical decision making came in handy. I had to write out the process and at the end of things I found that the decision that was my first reaction was not always the most ethical choice.
During This course I learned about the Framework of a company and who stakeholders are and how important they are to each company. I also learned about all the people that will be affected if one person makes an unethically choice. I learned that ethical checks and balances are put into companies for a reason, and that they are not just trainings that most company have once a year to protect themselves from laws.
Working in a fast pace government desktop support environment a lot of times you don’t get to think about ethics, you are placed in a position where the government department head wants something and they want it now. So technicians are forced to break proper protocol and set aside their ethics. But after learning the effects and damages that could be the result of a simple mistake such as loading software on a work computer when the software is out of there licenses agreement could cost the company $150,000.00 and do damage to the companies reputation.
My Ah-huh moment came in class after I did my presentation of my global ethics article and asked the class weather it was right for the larger company to pay to get there paper work fast tracked. Being in a world where speed was everything I truly felt like yes it is ok because I was told early in life that it takes money to make money. So I was under the impression that if your money is longer than you have other benefits. But my classmate asked me what about the small company that is just starting out, Should they have to wait on their paper work to get completed? And they stated that the large retail store was going to wipe out the small local stores because they can afford to drive the prices low because they can distribute in bulk. I think at that time I realized that some of my views on the subject of ethics was wrong.
In the future I think I.T. as a whole will have problems with becoming to user friendly. When I first started in I.T. it was like an art to put together a computer. But now a days most things are color coded or if it fits plug it in. That could be damaging because just like the Stuxnet virus bad things can come from just plugging things in where they fit. I also think that the I.T. industry is going to grow but I think that the top level people are going to excel and that the people who do help desk are going to disappear. They are already trying to advertise for people to go to websites and the website will fix their computer.
In this short 8 weeks I have learned a lot of thing that I plan on taking with me and applying them to my everyday life in the Information Technology field. I have learned about the legal and economic concerns that companies and I.T. professionals have to look out for. I learned the difference between copyright, Trademark and Patents. I feel like in this class I have meet some interesting people and I will take from this class some of the opinions of my class mates and I think I have changed one android person in the class into an apple lover. This was a great class.
UMUC-Haircuts-Stage-1
UMUC Haircuts Stage 1Last Name, First NameCourse NumberDue DateProfessor’s NameUMUC Haircuts Stage 1Introduction
UMUC has been engaging in hairstyling for both men and women for the past two decades. The business has been doing well but competition is increasing. A new hair styling business is opening close to Myra’s business and this makes her to become concerned about the future of the business. Due to the increased competition, there is the need for Myra to strategize on how to increase the competitive advantage of the business. The purpose of this paper is to come up with a strategy which will help UMUC Haircuts to remain competitive in the dynamic market.
Five Forces Analysis
FORCE EXPLANATION
(Minimum 2 good sentences) IMPACT (POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, or NEUTRAL) AFFECT STRATEGY? (YES/NO)
BUYER POWER The buyer power is high for UMUC Haircuts. This is because the number of customers has increased and even Myra is finding it hard to schedule the customers for efficient service. Hairstyling is always on demand which means that the buying capacity is high. Positive Yes
SUPPLIER POWER At the moment, the supplier power for Myra’s business is not high. This is because the organization has not identified a supplier who will supply them at the lowest prices. Neutral Yes
THREAT OF SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES We can say that this is a strength to UMUC Haircuts because there is no substitutes to hair styling. The business has a strength because it does not have to face competition from substitute products Positive Yes
THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS There are new businesses which are opening in the business environment of UMUC Haircuts and they are offering similar services and products. This poses a threat to the business and Myra should deal with it. Negative Yes
RIVALRY AMONG EXISTING COMPETITORS Rivalry among existing competitors is a term used to describe how companies are competing with UMUC for the same customers through the provision of similar products and services. The strength of UMUC Haircuts over competition is limited. This is because if the businesses are offering similar products, it will be difficult to control competition. This calls for UMUC to improve their competitive advantage. Negative Yes
Justification of Myra’s Choice of Strategy
By choosing price leadership, the business will offer products and services at the most reasonable price in the market. Through this, the organization will be able to attract more and more customers while increasing the competitive advantage of the business (Karagiannopoulos Georgopoulos & Nikolopoulos, 2005). This strategy will help the business organization in acquiring more customers as the business grows.
One important thing we should note is that price and demand are inversely proportional. This means that as prices go up, then the demand will reduce. The converse is also true; when prices are low, the demand of the services and products increases. It is important for Myra to consider this because maintaining reasonable prices will generate a good customer base for the business. Choice of the best of the best price is useful to the business.
When setting prices, one has to consider the suppliers (Rothaermel, 2012). If a business has to offer the best prices, then the suppliers need to be the cheapest in the market. For UMUC to continue making profits while maintaining low prices, it will be useful to ensure that their products are sourced from the best suppliers.
By offering the lowest and most reasonable prices, UMUC Haircuts will maintain a good market share. This means that the threat of substitution will be minimized. Also, the entry of new competitors in the market will be made difficult.
Myra would like to improve the scheduling of the customers as well as the employees. This will improve the efficiency and service delivery to the customers (Hoerl, R., & Snee, R. D. (2012). It will improve the satisfaction of the customers and maintain a good relationship between the customers and the business.
There are various technology solutions which can be used in improving the scheduling of employees as well as the customers. This will make it easy to identify the employees who are on duty and help in saving time and reduce idling. At times, there are employees who are on duty but they stay idle. This leads to wastage of resources.
References
Hoerl, R., & Snee, R. D. (2012). Statistical thinking: improving business performance (Vol. 48). John Wiley & Sons.
Karagiannopoulos, G. D., Georgopoulos, N., & Nikolopoulos, K. (2005). Fathoming Porter’s five forces model in the internet era. info, 7(6), 66-76.
Rothaermel, F. (2012). Strategic management. McGraw-Hill.