Locus of Evaluation: Internal and External Locus Explained
What Is the Locus of Evaluation? The word locus means place or position. Our locus of evaluation is therefore the place from which we make judgements about what feels right, valuable or acceptable. An internal locus gives authority to our own experience. An external locus places greater authority in other people’s expectations and reactions. These […]
What Is Unconditional Positive Regard in Counselling?
Unconditional positive regard (UPR) is one of the best-known concepts within Carl Rogers’ person-centred approach, but it is also one of the most easily misunderstood. It is sometimes reduced to being kind, agreeable or endlessly supportive. In person-centred counselling, however, unconditional positive regard describes something more demanding: the counsellor’s ability to value and accept the […]
Organismic Self vs Self-Concept in Person-Centred Theory
In person-centred theory, the organismic self and self-concept help explain why someone may feel disconnected from their emotions, needs and values. Although the terms can initially seem abstract, they describe a recognisable human experience: the difference between what we genuinely feel and what we believe we are supposed to feel. For counselling students, understanding this […]
