Radical intentions: twenty-first century reflections on facilitation in person-centered approach large group workshops

ABSTRACT

In 1973 Carl R. Rogers, Natalie Rogers Fuchs and John K Wood and a staff that included the current author collectively conceived of a series of events that would explore three core questions–whether or not Client-Centered principles shown to be effective for facilitating positive change in individuals demonstrate similar growth promoting effects on collectivities such as families, groups and communities; whether groups as entities and not just the individuals within them can become conscious; and whether a community’s capacity for social transformation could be enhanced if participants approached each other in accordance with client-centered principles. These workshops came to be known as Person-Centered Approach (PCA) encounters. Using evidence in the form of first-person accounts, field notes and published descriptions of over 40 PCA workshops in multiple settings across the world evidence seems to suggest that the answer to all three question is ‘yes.’ Insights into key conditions, facilitative approaches and philosophical frameworks for understanding PCA workshop process are discussed.

Intentions radicales: Réflexions du 21e siècle à propos de la facilitation de séminaires en grands groupes selon l’Approche centrée sur la personne.

En 1973, Carl Rogers, Nathalie Rogers Fuchs et John K Wood, avec une équipe qui comprenait l’auteure de cet article, ont conçu collectivement une série d’événements qui allaient explorer les trois conditions de base quant à savoir si les principes centrés sur le client qui s’avèrent efficaces pour faciliter un changement positif chez les individus montrent des effets promoteurs de croissance similaires dans des collectivités comme les familles, les groupes les communautés; si les groupes en tant qu’entité, et pas simplement les individus qui y prennent part, peuvent devenir plus conscients; et si la capacité d’une communauté au changement social peut s’accroître lorsque les participants s’approchent les uns des autres selon les principes centrés sur le client.

Ces séminaires se sont fait connaître comme étant des rencontres dans l’Approche centrée sur la personne (ACP). Sur base de l’évidence issue de nos conclusions personnelles, de notes d’observation et de descriptions publiées à propos de quarante séminaires ACP dans des dispositifs multiples à travers le monde, tout semble suggérer que la réponse à chacune des trois questions est « oui ». Un aperçu des trois conditions, les approches facilitatrices et le cadre philosophique de la compréhension du processus du séminaire PCA sont discutés.

Radikale Absichten: Reflexionen aus dem 21. Jahrhundert zu Facilitation in personzentrierten Grossgruppen-Workshops

Zusammenfassung: 1973 kamen Carl R. Rogers, Natalie Rogers Fuchs und John K Wood und ein Team, zu dem die Autorin gehörte, auf die Idee einer Reihe von Veranstaltungen, um drei Kernfragen zu untersuchen: ob oder ob nicht Klientzentrierte Grundsätze - die sich bei Individuen als effektiv erwiesen haben, positive Veränderung zu fördern - ähnliche wachstumsfördernde Effekte auf Kollektive wie Familien, Gruppen und Gemeinschaften haben könnten; ob Gruppen als Einheiten und nicht nur die Individuen innerhalb solcher Gruppen sich bewusst werden können; und ob die Fähigkeit einer Gemeinschaft zu sozialer Transformation erweitert werden könnte, wenn die Teilnehmenden sich einander gemäss den Grundsätzen des Personzentrierten Ansatzes nähern. Diese Workshops wurden bekannt als Personzentrierte Ansatz (PCA)-Encounters. Belege in Form von Ich-Erzählungen, Feldnotizen und publizierten Beschreibungen von über 40 PCA-Workshops in verschiedenartigen Settings rund um die Welt scheinen nahezulegen, dass die Antwort auf alle drei Fragen ‘ja’ ist. Erkenntnisse zu Kernbedingungen, förderliche Ansätze und philosophische Rahmenkonzepte, um den PCA-Workshop-Prozess zu verstehen, werden diskutiert.

Intenciones radicales: Reflexiones del siglo XXI sobre facilitación desde el enfoque centrado en la persona de grandes grupos de encuentros.

En 1973 Carl R. Rogers, Natalie Rogers Fuchs and John K Wood y un equipo que incluía a la presente autora concibieron una serie de eventos que explorarían tres cuestiones centrales: - si era posible o no que los principios centrados en la persona demostraran ser efectivos para facilitar cambios positvos que para promoveer similares crecimientos en colectividades como familias, gupos de comunidades, individuodos events that would explore three core questions–whether or not Client-Centered principles shown to be effective for facilitating positive change in individuals demonstrando similar growth, promoting effects on collectivities such as families, groups and communities; ya sea grupos o entidades y no solo individuos dentro de los cuales pudieran se conscientes, y si la capacidad de una comunidad para capacidad de transformacion pudieran incerrementarse si los participantes se acrcaran uno s a los otros de auerdo a los principios centrados en la persona. estos wrokshps dieron en ser llamandos encuentros del PCA. Usando evidencia en la formade relatos en primera persona, notas de campo, y evidencia publicada de mas de 40 PCA Workshps in distintos lugares experiencia del mundo dell mundo La evidencia oarece sufgerir 1uque la respues ta a toda esta pregunta es ‘si.’ Se discuten insights en consiciones claves, enfoques facilitativos, marcos tepricos, filosofocos para entender los procesos de los workshops del mundo PCA, enfoques facilitativo.

Intenções Radicais: reflexões do século XXI acerca da facilitação em grandes Workshops de Grupos da Abordagem Centrada na Pessoa

Em 1973 Carl R. Rogers, Natalie Rogers Fuchs e John K. Wood, juntamente com uma equipa que incluía o presente autor, conceberam de forma coletiva uma série de acontecimentos que viriam a explorar três questões centrais: se os princípios centrados no cliente que se mostravam eficazes na facilitação de uma mudança positiva em indivíduos demonstravam efeitos de promoção do desenvolvimento semelhantes em coletividades como as famílias, grupos e comunidades; se os grupos enquanto entidades e não apenas o conjunto dos indivíduos que os compõe podem tornar-se conscientes e se a capacidade de uma comunidade para a transformação social podia ser potenciada caso os participantes se abordassem uns aos outros de acordo com os princípios centrados no cliente. Estes workshops passaram a ser conhecidos como encontros da Abordagem Centrada na Pessoa (ACP). Recorrendo a evidências sob a forma de relatos na primeira pessoa, as notas de campo e as descrições publicadas em relação a mais de 40 workshops da ACP em diversos contextos por todo o mundo, parecem sugerir que a resposta às três perguntas é ‘sim’. São discutidos insights sobre as condições chave, abordagens facilitadoras e abordagens filosóficas para a compreensão do processo dos workshops da ACP

KEYWORDS:

• Encounter
• facilitation
• person-centered approach
• Carl R. Rogers
• self-organizing
• group wisdom

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The shadow side of this highly personal and subjective way of selecting a staff is that it tacitly endorsed a status quo established by the founding three – all middle class white Americans. Brazilian Maria Villas-Boaz Bowen and a working class white Brit were added and two African-American professionals were considered but neither joined the staff. The narrow ethnic make-up of the staff remained an unresolved issue for both participants and the staff.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maureen O’Hara

Maureen O’Hara is Professor of Psychology, National University, California, and President Emerita, Saybrook University. Born in Yorkshire, she did her doctoral studies in biology at Leeds University. Maureen worked closely for many years with humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers, leading large group encounters in many countries. Her current work focuses on the threats and opportunities of global challenges and cultural shifts for psychological development and emotional well-being. Her books include The Handbook of Person-Centered Psychotherapy (Palgrave, 2012), 10 Things to Do in a Conceptual Emergency (Triarchy 2009) and Dancing at the Edge: Competence, Culture and Organization in the 21st Century (Triarchy, 2012).