Modern Development of the Person-Centered Approach(PCA): a Point of View of Russian Psychologist

1. Modern Development of the Person-Centered Approach(PCA):aPoint of View of Russian Psychologist Veniamin V. Kolpachnikov, Assistant Professor of the National Research University-Higher School ofEconomics (Moscow,Russia)

2. Historical notes • A rise of the PCA in middle of a XX century An opposition to: • psychoanalysis; • behaviorism

3. A founder of the PCA • Carl Rogers, a greatest psychologist of XX century, has developed the theory and practice for development of a person, based on creation of “core” conditions . • These three well-known "core" conditions include unconditional positive regard, empathy/empathic listening and congruence.

4. Influence of PCA to psychological practice • Carl Rogers and PCA have changed a view of a human being and, consequently, the whole modern psychological practice. It has changed towards phenomenology, dialogue and positive regard.

5. Modern state of the PCA in psychological practice • The PCA has receded on the background plan in the whole area of modern psychological practice during few last years. As "figures" on this background have acted more fashionable and modern gestalt therapy, system family therapy, psychosynthesis, psychodrama, etc.

6. Analysis of the situation • Reasons: • PCA does not make effective and bright impression while it does not use techniques which demonstrate power of the therapist, its ability to render strong influence and precisely supervise psychotherapeutic process; • It doesn’t present a magic set of the terms, allowing to cover failures(Robert Hatterer,1993).

7. Development of the PCA • Despite of this "background” position of the PCA it is necessary to recognize a development taking part within the PCA. • It is possible to note the following lines of the PCA development

8. Lines of the PCA development • 1. Systematic methodological comprehension inside the approach (Bozart J., Hatterer R., Sanford R.; Brathier D., Vinsent S., VasilykF. Ye., Orlov A.B. and other)

9. Lines of the PCA development 2. Integration with other approaches: art-therapy and expressive methods (Rogers N. and other); focusing (Gendlin E.T. and other); family psychotherapy (Gaylin N.L.); psychodrama and gestalt therapy (Marques-Teixeira J.) and so forth

10. Lines of the PCA development 3. Within the limits of PCA may be traced two lines of its development: • a Client-Centered Therapy, whichrepresents a model of helping relationships; • A Person-Centered Approach, which represents ageneral model for all relationships, not just helping relationships. This line is connected with Earnest Meadows a colleague and follower of C. Rogers. PCA has gone far beyond therapy settings into education, business, conflict resolution, politics, ordinary life and so on.

11. Lines of the PCA development 4. PCA might be seen now not just as a narrow professional practice, but a cultural trend having a potential for changing human culture.

12. Some difficulties in development of the Approach • One of them results from the widespread naive opinion that to learn PCA is very simply. Behind this opinion is covered an illusion that just to be friendly and understanding person is enough to become “person-centered”. • Result: in PCA like in no other approach is such a big number of people who so quickly would come to belief, that they (even without special preparation) already have got a perfection in it.

13. Some difficulties in development of the Approach • Ant dogmatism of PCA not balanced by true adherence to its base principles leads sometimes to a pitiable picture. For the sake of freedom of self-determination of the practitioner the PCA is reduced to absolutely unrecognizable communicative techniques.

14. An accord of PCA with Russian psychological traditions Both of them are oriented to "topmost" psychology, aiming to the person’s "possible" unites, development and actualization of its abilities and properties (VygotskyL.S., Bakhtin M.M.,Rubinstain S.L. and others)

15. Opportunities for mutual influence and development of Russian psychology and PCA • PCA has influenced a development of psychological practice in Russia (VasilyukF.Ye., Orlov A.B., Petrovskaya L.A., Kharash A. U., etc.). • In Russia we develop a look at psychological practice based on ideas of cultural-historical psychology. A development of the person is analyzed by means of studying of a social situation of development of the person, type of contact with other (significant) people, prevailing activity, basic new psychological formations and so forth. Psychological practice, PCA in particular, might be seen as a creation of a special social situation of development of the person.

16. A cultural-historical view on PCA • From this point of view PCA appears as a creation of a unique social situation of development of the person, described as respect and facilitation of a free choice of the person in system of the close, interested, supporting, trusting attitudes of person-centered specialist. In these conditions a personal growth occurs – a growth of self-understanding, self-acceptance, confidence and responsibility, ability for self-control and understanding of others.

17. Conclusion • It is possible to recognize PCA as a special cultural situation of development of the person. PCA has a potential not only in the field of psychotherapy, but also in sphere of business, partner attitudes, education.

18. Thank you! Veniamin V. Kolpachnikov, Assistant Professor of the National Research University-Higher School ofEconomics (Moscow,Russia) vkolpachnikov@hse.ru