Explain your personal theory of counseling as selected from the class textbook.

Personal Theory of Counseling
Name
Institution

Personal Theory of Counseling
Introduction
Personal development is an integrated process during which learning is an indispensable aspect. Notably, counseling comes out as an intimate aspect of learning. Based on this, as practitioners, it is obligatory to shed or eradicate stereotypes in attempts to become authentic persons in the development and integration of the therapeutic relationship. In this aspect, clients tend to experience substantive growth in the person-to-person connection. Evidently, counselors must avoid hiding behind the professional roles to ensure that clients do not hide from the person-to-person interactions or relations. There are various theoretical perspectives or approaches to counseling. In this context, the focus will be on the person-centered or client-centered model as a form of humanistic theory to counseling. Humanistic therapists tend to care most concerning the present and helping their clients in the achievement of the highest potential. Rather than spending energy on the past or negative actions, these therapists tend to believe in the optimization of the goodness of all individuals. The approach aims at optimization of the self-growth and self-actualization.
Person-centered counseling theory/model
Critically, the founder of this theory is Carl Rogers developed in the 1940s as a nondirective reaction against the psychoanalysis model or approach. The theory focuses on the integration of the subjective perception of the human experience, thus, prioritization of the need to offer responsibility to the relevant clients in the course of dealing with different concerns and problems.

In the course of exploring this theoretical model, it is essential to note the component of the person-centered counseling theory. In its application, counselors tend to use non-authoritative approach allowing or enabling clients to optimize their positions and responsibilities to lead the discussion. In the process, these clients will have the opportunity to discover their solutions, which are efficient in the achievement of the set goals and targets at the end of each therapeutic position.
Categorically, it is the duty of the therapist or counselor as the compassionate facilitator, thus, the opportunity to listen without judgment. The approach also ensures that the counselor acknowledges the experiences of the clients rather than moving the approach of discussion into another direction. Essentially, the therapist or counselor must engage in encouraging and supporting the client, thus, the platform to guide the therapeutic process rather than interrupting and interfering with the process. The process should provide the opportunity for the client to experience self-growth under the influence of the guidance by the counselor.
Person-centered counseling theory is a humanistic approach, which aims at dealing with the ways clients conceptualize themselves consciously rather than how the counselor can interact and interpret the ideas and unconscious thoughts of the clients. In the development of the theory in the 1940s, Carl Rogers saw the essence of human beings having innate tendency to develop towards the full potential. Nonetheless, it is possible for the life experiences to block, influence, and distort the ability. In most cases, these experiences have enormous influences of the sense of value. It is obligatory for the counselor in question to conceptualize the individual’s experience from their point of view. The counselor must also depict positive evaluation and perception of the client as a person in the different aspects of humanity. The encounter should occur while enabling the practitioners and individuals to remain open, as well as genuine.
The encounter is ideal for ensuring that the client can feel the acceptance and better understanding of their feelings. In this context, it is possible for the counselor or therapist to use the opportunity in ensuring that clients can reconnect with their inner values and self-worth. The reconnection with the inner resources is vital in enabling clients to find solutions and decisions to make them move forward under the guidance and assistance by the counselor. The objective of the person-centered approach is essential in facilitating the actualizing tendency of the clients in the achievement of the set goals and targets from a humanistic perspective (Campbell, 2018). The approach is vital in ensuring the development of the personal growth and relationships of the client through creating the chance for the exploration and optimization of the personal strengths emanating from the personal identity. In the midst of these practices, the counselor has the opportunity to aid or facilitate the process while offering vital support with the objective of ensuring that clients can achieve their goals and targets.
In the implementation of this theory, it is essential to note the existence of various conditions to facilitate the realization of real change among the clients. For instance, there is the psychological contract between the counselor and the client to ensure exploration of the solutions. Additionally, it is vital for the client to depict emotional stability to demonstrate the desirable state of congruence (Herlitz, Munthe, Törner, & Forsander, 2016). Moreover, the counselor or therapist must be genuine and congruent to the feelings at the personal and interpersonal feelings. This highlights the unconditional positive perception for the client in the person-to-person communication. The theory provides the opportunity for the empathetic understanding of the needs and expectations of the clients, frame of reference, and looks to enable understanding of the challenges and difficulties (Campbell, 2018). The client has the platform to use the opportunity in ensuring and optimizing unconditional positive regard for the creation of the solutions and understanding of their difficulties. These elements coin into three critical conditions concerning empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard.
When is it appropriate to use the person-centered counseling theory? Counselors expect to understand their strong points and attributes about the achievement of the goals and targets. Notably, it is possible for the counselors to consider integrating person-centered therapy in cases individuals seek to gain self-confidence, an innate sense of identity, and appreciable interpersonal relationships. The approach ensures that individuals have the opportunity to make personal decisions in the course of benefiting from the person-centered therapy. The theory might function in isolation or combination with different therapeutic approaches to help individuals suffering from depression, abuse, anxiety, and stress, as well as other mental health condition (Carruth & Field, 2016). The therapy is essential in the individualistic and collectivistic contexts. The theory demands a lot of work from the clients, thus, the need to optimize inspiration and high motivation to be successful in the achievement of the set goals and targets.
The person-centered theory is an illustration of the talk therapy in which client executes most of the talking in the person-to-person interaction or communication. In this theoretical perspective, it is essential for the therapist to avoid judging or to interpret what the client is saying. Nonetheless, the counselor might engage in restating the words by the client with the objective of understanding fully the thoughts, as well as feelings in this person-to-person communication context. Upon hearing, their words repeated back to them, it is always in the interest of the clients to depict the desire to self-edit and clarify the necessary meaning. The encounter might happen at different times until the client is convinced that he or she has been able to express exactly what he or she is thinking or feeling (Murphy & Hayes, 2015). Additionally, there might be instances of silence when an individual is engaged in deep thought or reflection. The person-focused practice enhances self-discovery, acceptance, and confidence, thus, and healing for positive personal growth.
How does the theory work? The person-centered theory is a reflection of the Rogerian perceptions, which relates to the original work of the American psychologist, Carol Rogers. According to Carol Rogers, every individual is different, thus, the need for the therapy to engage in trusting the perceptions of an individual regarding his or her world, as well as the ability to manage the world. In the development and integration of this theory, Rogers did believe that individuals have the power to acquire or generate best solutions for their positions leading to the creation of the appropriate changes in their lives. From this perspective, integration of the person-centered therapy or theory is a representation of the movement from the traditional role of the counselor or therapist as the expert and leader.
The approach creates an opportunity for the transformation of the role of the therapist, especially in the person-to-person interaction or process enabling the clients to utilize their understanding of the experiences in the reflection of the platform for healing. The achievement of success in this theory integrates three elements or conditions. In the first instance, there is the issue of the unconditional positive regard in the counseling process (Haugh, 2018). This highlights the approach in which counselors must develop the essence of empathy, as well as non-judgmental in the process of conveying different feelings and expressions of trust, understanding, and confidence. The approach is essential in enabling the counselor to engage in encouraging their respective clients in the course of making appropriate choices and decisions to improve their conditions.
Secondly, the success of this personal theory of counseling depends on the development of the empathetic understanding or conceptualization of the condition and interaction between the counselor and the client. This is a representation of the complete understanding and acceptance of the feelings and thoughts of the clients by the counselors or therapists in the therapeutic positions and processes. Finally, there is the issue of congruence as an expression of a critical success factor. From a definitional perspective, congruence is a reflection of the opportunity by the therapist to carry no element of authority, as well as professional superiority. In this context, the counselor plays a critical role in presenting the truth, as well as the accessible self that clients can relate to in honest and free perspective (Crisp, 2015).
Having explored how the person-centered therapy or counseling works, it is essential to explore and examine what makes a good person-centered therapist or counselor in the achievement of the set goals and targets in the person-to-person communication (Carruth & Field, 2016). Evidently, it is possible for the licensed mental health practitioners from different disciplines to optimize their training and experience of the person-centered approach in the therapeutic contexts. Other than findings a counselor with educational background, as well as relevant experience, there is need to highlight counselors who are empathetic to enhance the ability to discuss personal issues during the conversation process. Moreover, it is essential for the therapists or counselors to have valuable identities.
The approach ensures that counselors know who they are, what they are capable of achieving, and what they desire to achieve in life concerning what is essential, thus, the platform to the achievement of the goals and targets. Person-centered therapists should also depict respect while appreciating others. The approach is vital in enabling professionals to offer and obtain help and love in the expression of their sense of self-confidence and worth, as well as strength. The counselor has to be adequate with others while enabling others to depict powerful nature in interaction with the target audiences or clients. In most cases, it is valuable for the therapists to depict openness and willingness to change, thus, the platform to leave the security of the known. The approach is essential in helping clients to make decisions about how they would like to change in attempts to become the individual or person they desire to become.
Alternatively, counselors have to help clients arrive at the life-oriented choices or decisions. This highlights the approach to make others learn about themselves. Individuals should not be the victims of the early decisions, thus, the platform to have the willingness to revise whenever necessary. In the person-to-person communication, therapists must ensure that they are sincere, honest, and authentic in the achievement of the set goals and targets. The theory ensures that counselors do not hide behind issues such as professionalism, roles, and defenses in the person-to-person communication or interaction.
Effective counselors need to have the desirable sense of humor to ensure that clients can arrive at the desirable decisions and positions in improving their lives. In counseling, culture plays a critical role in the achievement of the set goals and targets. The therapists must engage in the appreciation of the influence of culture with the objective of ensuring that clients come out of their selves in the achievement of the goals (Haugh, 2018). In most cases, it is appropriate for the therapists or counselors to ensure that they have sincere interests in the welfare of the clients. The concern must relate to issues such as trust, care, and value of others, thus, the opportunity to interact effectively and efficiently with the clients. Moreover, quality and effective therapists need to know to maintain healthy interactions and boundaries with the clients. These therapists tend to present their clients. In the process of these elements, it is appropriate to ensure that they do not carry the problems of their clients around, especially during the leisure hours. Therapists using this theory must also depict passion. This is evident in the courage to pursue different passions concerning being passionate about life and work in the achievement of the set goals and targets.
In this context, there is need to explore the effectiveness and efficiency of the person-centered theory of counseling in the achievement of the set goals. Based on this, this section highlights the positive and negative attributes of the model in the achievement of the set goals and targets. In the first instance, the person-centered theory of counseling is critical in enabling the creation of the close interaction and agreement between the idealized and actual values among the clients and therapists (Crisp, 2015). In this context, the client can create valuable emotions and solutions to enable the realization of the set goals and targets.
Moreover, the person-centered theory of counseling is ideal for the realization of the better self-understanding, as well as awareness. In this person-to-person communication between the counselor and client, there is the opportunity for the clients to dig deeper based on the self-confidence and awareness following the experiences. Similarly, the approach is essential in enabling the therapeutic session to decrease defensiveness, guilt, and insecurity. This creates the opportunity for the client to offer more in this talking-therapeutic approach in generating different solutions. The approach proves to be ideal in the selection of the set goals and targets about the perceptions of the client. Other than eliminating insecurity and defensiveness in the counseling process, the approach is vital in the creation of the greater ability to trust oneself in the realization of the set goals and targets.
The clients and counselors can generate healthier relationships while improving efficiency in the realization of the collective goals at the individual and group levels. The approach is also ideal for the creation of the platform for the improvement of the self-expression among the clients. Categorically, the approach is vital in the illustration of the healthy sense of change in the achievement of the set goals from the individualistic sense. The theory highlights the essence of the self-concept, which relates to the consistent and organized set of beliefs or perceptions emanating from the experience and influence of the conceptualization of the world. Integration of the person-centered theory in counseling is an expression of the recognition of the individual’s self-concept, which might not be appropriate if he or she strives too much to fit in and gain acceptance from the individuals around him or her.
On the other hand, person-centered counseling theory might be ineffective if the clients are unable to generate quality practices and expectations or solutions to improve their conditions or positions. Additionally, the approach might be inappropriate if the client is unable to talk effectively or efficiently in communicating different experiences and attributes. Nonetheless, the approach provides the platform for the counselors to enable the clients to optimize their control and power in the improvement of their positions.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis presented in the paper, one of the notable humanistic theories of counseling is the person-centered theory of counseling. It aims at prioritizing the needs and roles of the clients in addressing their concerns and expectations. In this discussion, their focus was on the illustration of the elements of this theory, conditions, effectiveness, and qualities of the therapists to achieve the set goals and targets during the therapeutic process. The approach is vital in the generation of the healthier relationship between the client and the counselor while empowering the client to take the primary role in improving his or her concerns and problems from a mental perspective. Notably, the approach is ideal for the creation of the opportunity for the practitioners to guide clients in pursuing workable solutions depending on their experiences.

References
Campbell, J. A. (2018). Person Centered Theory and Considerations for Counseling Practice and Teaching. Journal of Global Engagement and Transformation, 1(2).
Carruth, E., & Field, T. (2016). Person-Centered Approaches: Providing Social and Emotional Support for Adult Learners. In Supporting the Success of Adult and Online Students. Create-Space.
Crisp, R. (2015). Can Motivational Interviewing be Truly Integrated with Person-centered Counselling? The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, 21(1), 77-87.
Haugh, S. (2018). The handbook of person-centered therapy and mental health: theory, research and practice. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 1-3.
Herlitz, A., Munthe, C., Törner, M., & Forsander, G. (2016). The counseling, self-care, adherence approach to person-centered care and shared decision-making: moral psychology, executive autonomy, and ethics in multi-dimensional care decisions. Health communication, 31(8), 964-973.
Murphy, D., & Hayes, C. (2015). Person-Centered Therapy. Contemporary Theory and Practice in Counseling and Psychotherapy, 295.