This is an approach that is followed by many professionals and some organisations that want to help people to develop. It involves focusing on the following themes when doing a piece of work.
To focus on the purpose of doing the work;
To put the person – or the group of people – at the centre when doing the work;
To do their best to achieve positive results when doing the work.
Different people follow this approach in different ways. The following section explore how they may translate this into action.
The Person-Centred
Approach In Counselling
Carl Rogers helped to pioneer the person-centred approach in counselling and therapy. Today it is hard to realise how revolutionary his ideas were in the 1930s and 40s.
In those days the medical profession treated people with psychiatric difficulties as patients. The doctor saw the patient, made a diagnosis and prescribed a treatment.
Few sat down with a troubled person to encourage them to clarify their feelings, set goals and take responsibility for shaping their future. Psychoanalysis was an option for the rich, but few people had the opportunity of basic counselling.
Carl saw much of his work as helping people to develop in their lives and work. This may sound basic. But it was radical for an era in which the doctor, psychiatrist or other expert was expected to stay aloof.
He wanted to value the client and put them at the centre of the relationship. They would then be more likely to feel at ease and able to shape their future.
Carl even moved away from the notion of clients – eventually calling his work the person-centred approach. He described this in one of his best known books called On Becoming A Person. He believed in the following principles.
The client – like every person – had
a drive towards self-actualisation
This drive would press towards fulfilment and, if able to be expressed properly, would increase the person’s chances of becoming healthy.
If the drive was frustrated, the person would experience difficulties, some of which might be displayed in various symptoms.
The helper’s role was to create an encouraging
environment that facilitated the person’s growth
Carl believed the helper could create the right environment by being genuine, showing empathy and having unconditional positive regard. These are what he called the core conditions.
The person would then be more likely to be their real self,
set goals and work towards fulfilling their potential
Carl believed that, providing a helper created an encouraging environment, a person was then more able to be their true self. They could then set meaningful goals and continue to develop in their lives and work.
Carl’s work was not without criticism, but the approach he espoused created the foundations for many other therapies. Here are two of the many books that built on this approach.
The Person-Centred
Approach In Education
There are many views about the purpose of education. Here are some of the most common approaches.
The Purpose Of Education Is:
To enable people to develop their talents and life skills they can use to live a fulfilling lives;
To provide people with the knowledge and skills they can use to shape a positive future;
To prepare people to be good citizens and productive members of the economy.
The person-centred approach focuses on the first and second of these definitions plus also encouraging people to be good citizens. Here is how some great educators described their view of the purpose of education.
Friedrich Froebel
Friedrich Froebel was an educational pioneer who lived from 1782 to 1852. He gave birth to the kindergarten – ‘the children’s garden’. He believed children needed a place where they could be cherished and helped to flourish. He said:
“Children are like tiny flowers; they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers.”
Froebel believed that people are creative beings and that each person was many sided. He used the analogy of a crystal. Shining a light on one side may or may not highlight their brilliance. A loving environment was crucial, but children also wanted to learn.
Froebel created what we would now call educational materials. He called these Gifts. They encouraged the child to play, be creative and explore designs that mirrored the unity of the universe.
He believed that each child had their own rhythm. They would learn when they were ready to learn. The educator’s role was to provide the stimulation to help them develop.
Play can be a starting point for creativity, but progress does not always come easily. Doing what you love can involve overcoming tough challenges. Froebel wrote:
“A child who plays and works thoroughly, with perseverance until physical fatigue forbids will surely be a thorough, determined person, capable of self-sacrifice.”
Froebel carried the torch for nurturing and educating the human soul – rather than stuffing facts into children. His views encouraged parents and teachers to side with their children’s potential.
Maria Montessori
Maria was an Italian educational pioneer who lived between 1870 and 1952. Her approach often involved students pursuing the learning process of absorption, adventure and achievement. Explaining her philosophy, Maria wrote:
“There is a part of a child’s soul that has always been unknown but which must be known. With a spirit of sacrifice and enthusiasm we must go in search, like those who travel to foreign lands and tear up mountains in their search for hidden gold.”
What actually happens in a Montessori environment? Imagine you are visiting a class for the youngest children. You will probably see over 30 children, ranging from two and a half to six years old.
The room has a prepared environment in which children can follow their natural tendency to work.
It will embody the characteristics of beauty, simplicity, order, accessibility and reality. Children will have many enticing materials that are designed to help them explore their world and develop their skills.
The children will be ‘working’.
Some will be totally concentrated on their activity; some will be co-operating with others; some will be tidying up after their last activity and moving onto the next. Some may be preparing food. Some may be engaged in other activities.
The children will be given freedom to work, learn and develop.
They will move around within suitable guidelines that enable them to act as part of a social group. They can pursue their own interests – though they must also respect others.
The educator will be watching the children.
They will see when they become enraptured and, when appropriate, encourage and guide them to further exploration on this theme.
The children will continue to develop their skills.
They will repeat an activity until it satisfies an ‘inner goal’. They will then move onto the next activity they want to explore.
There was a time during the early part of the 20th Century when it seemed Maria’s approach would be adopted throughout education. Her ideas made a profound impact, but some fell victim to other philosophies and mass schooling.
During the past half century, however, there has been an appreciation of the Montessori approach and what it can do for children. Certainly there have been critics, but the overwhelming reaction has been positive.
Many well-known people have at some point been involved in aspects of Montessori education. These include Anne Frank, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, James Whale and George Clooney.
John Dewey
Dewey saw that America was shifting towards a different kind of economy. Bearing this in mind, he maintained that traditional schooling would not produce active, creative citizens.
He believed that traditional education saw children as empty, passive receptacles to be filled with ideas. This helped to support the existing order.
Progressive education for which he – rightly or wrongly – became known, saw school as an opportunity for children to develop as individuals and citizens.
John believed education must be linked to the child’s experience. Students were more likely to embrace mathematics, for example, if they could see how it applied to their daily lives. He wrote in My Pedagogic Creed.
“I believe that the school must represent present life – life as real and vital to the child as that which he carries on in the home, in the neighborhood, or on the playground.”
Dewey was one of the first to promote this approach in America. Here are some of the principles that run through his work.
People can learn by participating in relevant learning experiences.
People can develop their problem-solving skills, clarify the learning and apply the lessons in their daily lives.
People can take responsibility, think for themselves and take an active role as citizens.
People can follow their vocation and develop the habit of life-long learning.
A person’s vocation is their calling: it is what they are here to do. Dewey railed against the concept of ‘vocational training’, however, which was being used to serve industry. Students were being prepared for jobs in which they might be trapped for life.
He had a different view of what a vocation entailed and also believed in life-long learning. Dewey wrote in Democracy and Education:
“The dominant vocation of all human beings at all times is living – intellectual and moral growth.
His views continue to appeal to those who aim to translate philosophy into practice. For example, people who focus on project work, action learning, workshops, simulation and community based learning.
John believed encouraging people with different learning styles to make use of these strengths when developing. People could then take responsibility for their learning, clarify the lessons and apply these in their future lives.
The Twenty-First
Century Skills Approach
Many educators have followed the person-centred approach. They have aimed to create an encouraging environment in which the person feels at ease and able to explore. They have then aimed:
To focus on what the person wants to learn and help them to clarify their goals;
To help the person to build on their strengths and develop skills they can use to achieve the goals;
To, when appropriate, pass on knowledge in a way the person can use to achieve their goals.
Today there is a strong emphasis on students learning what are called the Four C’s of Twenty-First Century Skills. These are, however, eternal skills that people have used to shape their futures.
Critical Thinking (or Clear Thinking) – The ability to make sense of information, make good decisions and clarify the real results to achieve.
Creativity – The ability to learn from what has worked in the past and also use your imagination to find creative solutions to challenges.
Collaboration – The ability to build on your strengths and collaborate with people who have complementary skills in order to achieve certain goals.
Communication – The ability to communicate clearly with colleagues, key stakeholders and other people on the way towards achieving the goals.
The person-centred approach has a strong tradition in education and is also now used in some organisations. Let’s explore how this may be translated into action.
The Person-Centred
Approach In Organisations
Some organisations aim to follow the person-centred approach. The medical profession, for example, now often aims to put the patient at the centre. The Macmillan Cancer Support organisation describes this in the following way.
Many medical organisations are patient-centred in terms emphasising bodily autonomy. This is the right of each person to make their own decisions regarding their body.
There are obviously situations where medical decisions need to be taken without a person’s authority. Such as when treating a person who is unconscious and has severe injuries.
Whatever the situation, however, the medics aim to show respect for the person and their dignity. This is a fundamental value for helping people to survive and regain their health.
Many other kinds of organisations aim to be person-centred. They are geared towards putting the person at the centre and using their resources to help people to achieve certain goals.
Some organisations claim that they are people-driven but aren’t. They may say they have a ‘People First’ policy, for example, but then fire people when the profits dip.
Such organisations may need to be honest about their actual purpose – such as making a profit. They may also need to recognise that they can only achieve this through the efforts of their people.
There are many ways to do fine work. One way is to follow the person-centred approach. It is to focus on the person and help them to achieve their goals.
Some people take this approach when doing counselling or providing medical care. Some adapt it in their own way when working as educators, coaches, mentors or in other roles.
Let’s return to your own life and work. Looking ahead, can you think of a situation where my may want to follow elements of this approach? How can you do this in your own way?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentences.
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