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The Compatibility of Person-Centred Therapy and Buddhist Teachings
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Previous scholarly studies have discussed the use of Zen Buddhism within the person-centred approach of Carl Rogers, demonstrating the feasible influence of Buddhism over Rogers's theories. The present research delves into the convergence and divergence of person-centred therapy and the Mahāyāna (one of the current mainstreams of Buddhism) philosophy explicated within the Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra (a significant Mahāyāna canon); in particular, the bodhisattva spirit and four immeasurables, including loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. Findings indicate that Carl Rogers's counselling principles and practices comply with the Buddhist teachings of phenomenal vision, actualising tendency, and innate eagerness to alleviate suffering. This discussion also analyses ideas that have seldom been examined in person-centred principles, such as bodhisattva altruism, mind purity in nature and impurity caused by bewilderment, compassion fatigue, causes of suffering, and counselling techniques. Mahāyāna wisdom potentially offers references to the Rogerian family of theories, which also sheds light on the use of Buddhist-influenced non-medical interventions.
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... including existential-integrative psychotherapy (Schneider, 2016). Person-centered therapy, now considered a founding work in the humanistic school of psychotherapies, is considered to enhance both therapist's and clients' personal growth and posits that the qualities of the therapists and the therapeutic relationship are the most powerful tools to enhance clients' personal growth (Cheng, 2019). This means that pain and negative life experiences may be the necessary ingredients to motivate humans to strive towards personal growth by turning negative issues into positive life learning which can deepen meaning, values, and happiness. ...
Objective:
This paper reports on a focus-group discussion of four expert psychotherapy researchers facilitated at an international conference from the Society of Psychotherapy Research. A discussion was facilitated to explore their perspectives on psychotherapy practices of personal growth (intentionally working towards a strengthened sense of autonomy, mastery, and self-acceptance) in different countries (United States, Canada, Argentina, and Chile) and different modalities (psychoanalysis, humanistic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy).
Methods:
Following the conference, the audio recording of this discussion was transcribed and analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods.
Results:
Six domains were identified; definition of personal growth, mental health care systems, psychotherapy practice, psychotherapy research, client and therapist characteristics, and social stigma.
Results:
Six domains were identified; definition of personal growth, mental health care systems, psychotherapy practice, psychotherapy research, client and therapist characteristics, and social stigma.
Conclusion:
Future research examining the cost-effectiveness and benefits of psychotherapy for personal growth is warranted. Building on the six domains, specific future research projects on the evidence-based practice of psychotherapy for personal growth are suggested.
Cultural pluralism and diversity give rise to debates on conflicts and inclusiveness. Scholars largely investigate how people manage their culture of origin within their host culture, and how the host culture helps them adapt to the changes they experience within their new environment. However, both cultures can merge peacefully and the involved cultures can flourish as a result. The evolvement of jiasha, the attire of Chinese Buddhist masters, illustrates intertwined immersion, in which traditional Chinese (domestic) and Buddhist (imported) cultures show their openness, tolerance, and acceptance to foreign cultures. Finally, while maintaining the significance of Indian Buddhist clothing, jiasha has adopted Chinese dress style, incorporating local cultural and environmental characteristics. This manifests great respect for both traditional Chinese and Buddhist cultures, harmoniously achieving this hybrid product that mutually rejuvenates and enriches native and foreign cultures. ulture reflects a system, a "software of the mind" (Aggarwal and Zhan 2017, 1), of a group of people who share the experiences , history, beliefs, ideas, values, world views, arts, symbols, artefacts, gestures, myths, perception, preferences, process of decision making, habits, hierarchies, norms and customs which affect behaviour and lifestyle. These specific, consistent and cohesive elements are transmitted down to succeeding generations (Faulkner et al. 2006), and enable individuals to maintain a collective "cultural self" (Jahoda 2012, 296) by which to differentiate themselves from other groups. Religious dress is an important part of material culture. While there are interactions between different cultures, conflicts and clashes inevitably arise. In particular, cultural shock (Oberg 1960) occurs, resulting in a shock within a foreign or unfamiliar cultural environment due to language barriers, distant beliefs and values , exotic ways of living or strange behaviour. In order to eliminate this shock, people require psychological and emotional adjustments and changes in their lifestyle (Fitzpatrick 2017) because such uneasi-C
Person-centered therapy enhances humans’ personal growth toward self-actualization and deepens quality personal relationship. This article aims to (1) explain the concepts of person-centered therapy and (2) link its contribution to humans’ personal growth and healthy relationship. Personcentered therapy believes in human’s positive qualities as being trustworthy and owning ‘inner resources’ to pursue ‘self-actualization and health.’ The therapeutic goals are to assist clients to be true to themselves and acquire their full potentials. Person-centered therapy emphasizes the qualities of the therapist and therapeutic relationship as the most powerful components to help clients grow. The therapist needs to maintain positive attitudes, to believe in client’s potentials and motivation to become actualized, to accept one’s and others’ uniqueness and needs and to be trustworthy, warm, open and kind. Person-centered therapy reflects that pain and obstacles in life are necessary and can stimulate humans to grow. Person-centered therapy helps the therapist; clients and humans pursue self-actualization and possess better humans’ qualities, which can contribute to world peace as Rogers hoped.
This chapter discusses:
• A definition and description of what therapeutic presence is… and what it is
not
• Therapeutic presence as a foundation to Rogers’ core conditions
• Research on therapeutic presence in relation to process and outcome
• Practical exercises to enhance the cultivation of therapeutic presence
Religion-informed social work practice has offered an alternative to clients and social workers, but research examining the practicality of Buddhist based social work is very limited. The present project delves into how Buddhist theories can be applied to social work through the lived experiences of two Buddhist social workers. It adopts individual, semi-structured interviews that are transcribed into verbatim texts. The transcriptions are analysed by interpretative phenomenological analysis with the assistance of ATLAS.ti 7, a qualitative data analysis package. This study uses member-checking and peer analysis to enhance academic rigour. It indicates qualities (compassion, and wisdom) and practice (living in the present moment, mindfulness, positive thinking, and untainted compassion) as the prominent features of Buddhist social workers, from which it draws two higher themes: bodhisattva (metaphorised social worker), and bodhisattva altruism. Extending the horizon of religion influenced social work, the outcomes also provide references to front line workers.
Since its beginnings in the 1950s, the person-centred approach to therapy has developed in many ways. In this important new text, Campbell Purton introduces the 'focusing' approach of Eugene Gendlin. The book discussed Gendlin's theoretical innovations and their implications for clinical practice. It throws light on the relationship between the various schools of therapy, and on the relationship between therapy and such areas as ethics and spirituality. It will be essential reading for students and practioners of person-centred therapy.
More than fifty years after Erich Fromm's The Sane Society was first published, it remains an important work, surprisingly contemporary in scope, with particular relevance to scholars working in social theory and media studies. Fromm's primary emphasis is on evaluating the sanity of contemporary western societies, which he suggests often deny its citizens' basic human needs of productive activity, self-actualisation, freedom, and love. He suggests that the mental health of a society cannot be assessed in an abstract manner but must focus on specific economic, social, and political factors at play in any given society and should consider whether these factors contribute to insanity or are conducive to mental stability. Ultimately The Sane Society provides a radical critique of democratic capitalism that goes below surface symptoms to get to the root causes of alienation and to suggest ways to transform contemporary societies to further the productive activities of its citizens. Fromm envisions the refashioning of democratic capitalist societies based on the tenants of communitarian socialism, which stresses the organisation of work and social relations between its citizens rather than on issues of ownership.