Rogers Read the following case study and answer the questions following it: Dr.

Question

Rogers

Read the following case study and answer the questions following it:

Dr. Smith is a well-respected pediatrician who is a prestigious and powerful member of his community. He is married and an active member of a local church.

During the routine physical examination of a 14-year-old boy, Dr. Smith removed the child's undershorts while the boy lay on the examining table and began stroking his genitals and asking questions about injury to the penis, sperm color, and problems with ejaculation. After masturbating the child to ejaculation, the doctor hugged the boy, saying "I'm a pretty cute guy," and then kissed him on the neck. By this time, the child became very nervous and confused. He was subjected to several more hugs before leaving the examination room. After the boy and his mother left the doctor's office, he told her what had happened.

During an inquiry by the medical board, the doctor claimed that boys often had ejaculations during physical examinations and revealed the names of two other boys. His records showed a private shorthand for the events and lavish descriptions of the boys' bodies. He also said that he served often and without compensation as a lecturer on teen-age sexuality, that he worked as both a school and a camp physician, and that his examinations of boys' genitals often lasted more than five minutes. He steadfastly maintained that there was no harm in what he did.

Dr. Smith is now your patient.

If you were a therapist who followed Rogers’ theory, how might you show empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard to Dr. Smith? What exactly would you say or do in the counseling session which would show the client these three Rogerian therapy techniques? [Note that you will not receive points for any version of “I could not do it.”]

Carl Rogers stated, “The curious paradox is that when I accept myself as I am, then I can change.” Put this in the context of Rogers’ theory (i.e., what concepts from his theory apply to this phrase?). What did he mean? How can this help you to understand people and/or yourself?

According to Rogers, what parental behaviors affect a child’s development of positive self-regard? What parental behaviors contribute to a child’s development of conditions of worth?

Explanation / Answer

Roger believes in giving impetus to his clients self morale in order to enhance the patients understanding of themselves, that is, he was of the belief that people need to have complete self awareness in order to effect change.

This can only be gained by being truly empathetic to an individual and helping them circumvent their particular conundrum. He was a propagator of client centered therapy, wherein he believed that the client is the focus and the client knows who he or she is and what the problem is, and the therapist is the mere facilitator.

This is achieved by being truly empathetic, non judgemental and accepting and positive towards Dr. Smith, which would possibly aid Dr. Smith in realizing his behavior.

Parents are responsible for the self worth that a child holds themselves to, and this self worth is inadvertently created as a consequence of a parent's behavior towards their child. If a parent is empathetic and accepting towards their child, the child would develop a strong self worth and be subjected to lesser self worth problem in his/her adulthood.

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