Reflections on thomism and client-centered psychotherapy

Conclusion To summarize, Rogers and Aquinas both stress the importance of existential experience and sense data. Although Rogers is more concerned with human freedom and being than are many modern adjustment psychotherapists, he is still circumscribed by his initial positivistic assumptions about the nature of man in his therapy. but these assumptions may be in the process of change.But like Aquinas, Rogers has a deep respect for the person, a respect for his emotions, a respect for his whole existential being.³⁸ Rogers once stated that the client-centered point of view is devoid of thequid pro quo aspect of most experiences we call love. It is the simple outgoing human feeling of one individual for another, a feeling it seems ... which is even more basic than sexual or parental feelings. It is a caring enough about the person that you do not wish to interfere with his development, nor to use him for any self-aggrandizing goals of your own. Your satisfaction comes in having set him free to grow in his own fashion.³⁹ Isn't this the spiritual detachment of real Christian love?He has taught at the University of California at Los Angeles and at Loyola University (Los Angeles), and has been a staff psychologist at the Metropolitan State Hospital, Los Angeles. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Psychotherapists.Portions of this paper were presented at the 16th Annual Scientific Session, Guild of Catholic Psychiatrists, Los Angeles, 1964.