PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY IN COUNSELLING
You are welcome to explore personality tools and psychology in person centred counselling. Delve into the intricate interplay between individual personalities and the foundational principles of person centred therapy.
Gain insights into how understanding personality dynamics enhances the therapeutic process, fostering empathetic connections and empowering personal growth. The transformative realm of personality psychology in counselling can assist in individual and employee counselling.
PERSON CENTRED VIEW ON PERSONALITY
Grow in the best conditions
Person centred therapists believe you are unique and you have free will. The person centered theory of personality, developed by Carl Rogers, posits that individuals have an innate tendency to strive for self-actualization and fulfillment. According to this theory, personality is shaped by the interaction between self-concept and life experiences.
Key concepts include:
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Self-Concept: The core of the theory is the self-concept, which consists of an individual's beliefs and perceptions about themselves. This includes how they see their abilities, values, and identity.
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Unconditional Positive Regard: Rogers emphasized the importance of unconditional positive regard, where individuals feel accepted and valued regardless of their behavior. This supportive environment is crucial for personal growth.
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Congruence: Rogers believed that psychological health comes from congruence between the self-concept and actual experiences. When there's alignment between how individuals see themselves and their actual experiences, they are more likely to develop a healthy personality.
Organismic Valuing Process: People possess an innate, biological sense of what is beneficial or detrimental to their well-being. This organismic valuing process guides individuals in making choices that contribute to their self-actualization.
In summary, the person-centered theory sees individuals as inherently good, driven by a desire for personal growth, and capable of self-directed development when provided with a supportive and non-judgmental environment.
CARL JUNG AND THE MBTI
16 Personality types
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the person-centered view of personality both seek to understand individuals' personalities and provide insights into their behavior and preferences. However, they approach personality assessment in different ways and have different underlying theories.
The MBTI is a psychological tool that categorizes individuals into 16 different personality types based on four dichotomies: extraversion-introversion, sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving. It is based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types and is seen as a fixed set of traits that describe an individual.
On the other hand, the person-centered view of personality emphasises the unique and subjective nature of each individual's experiences and places less emphasis on categorization. It recognizes that individuals are constantly growing and changing and seeks to help individuals understand and fulfill their own potential. It views personality as a dynamic and ever-changing aspect of the individual, rather than a fixed set of traits.
In summary, the MBTI seeks to categorize individuals into distinct personality types, while the person-center view of personality focuses on each individual's subjective experiences and growth towards self-actualization.
So as I love both these theories I integrate them, by holding them both together. A client and I may choose to integrate the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) into the sessions as a tool to help them understand themselves and their unique personality characteristics.
However, I would approach the use of the MBTI from a person-centered perspective, recognizing that it is just one aspect of the individual and that their understanding of themselves is constantly changing and evolving, which is supported and line with Jung's theory of how the cognitive functions develop over the life span.
In this approach, the MBTI would be used as a starting point for further exploration and self-discovery rather than as a definitive answer about the client's personality. I would help the client understand their MBTI type, but also emphasize that this type should not be seen as limiting or restrictive, but rather as a way to understand their preferences and tendencies.
Additionally I, as a person-centered counselor would incorporate the client's subjective experiences and self-perceptions into the process, recognizing that their understanding of themselves is just as important as the MBTI results. I would encourage the client to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in order to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their motivations, and their growth opportunities.
In conclusion, I would use the MBTI as one tool among many to help clients understand themselves and their unique personality, but would always approach it from a client-centered perspective that recognizes the importance of the client's subjective experiences and self-perceptions.
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THE BIG FIVE
Five basic dimensions of personality
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five Personality Traits are both frameworks used to understand and categorize individual differences in personality. However, they approach personality assessment in different ways and have different underlying theories.
The MBTI categorizes individuals into 16 different personality types based on four dichotomies: extraversion-introversion, sensing-intuition, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving. It is based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types and is seen as a fixed set of traits that describe an individual.
The Big Five Personality Traits, also known as the Five Factor Model (FFM), is a widely researched and widely used model that assesses personality based on five broad dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The Big Five model is based on empirical evidence and is seen as a more modern, comprehensive and empirically-supported approach to personality assessment.
The MBTI categorizes individuals into specific personality types based on four dichotomies, while the Big Five Personality Traits assesses personality based on five broad dimensions. The MBTI is based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types, while the Big Five Personality Traits is based on empirical evidence. The MBTI is often seen as less scientifically rigorous than the Big Five Personality Traits, but it is still widely used due to its popularity and its appeal as a tool for self-discovery, both have their merits.
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A person-centered counselor may choose to use the Big Five Personality Traits as a tool to help clients understand themselves and their unique personality characteristics. However, they would approach the use of the Big Five from a person-centered perspective, recognizing that it is just one aspect of the individual and that their understanding of themselves is constantly changing and evolving.
In this approach, the Big Five would be used as a starting point for further exploration and self-discovery rather than as a definitive answer about the client's personality. I would help the client understand their scores on each of the five dimensions (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism), but also emphasize that these scores should not be seen as limiting or restrictive, but rather as a way to understand their preferences and tendencies.
Additionally, I would incorporate the client's subjective experiences and self-perceptions into the process, recognizing that their understanding of themselves is just as important as the Big Five results. I would encourage the client to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in order to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their motivations, and their growth opportunities.
In conclusion I, as a person-center counselor would use the Big Five Personality Traits as one tool among many to help clients understand themselves and their unique personality, but would always approach it from a client-center perspective that recognizes the importance of the client's subjective experiences and self-perceptions.
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Other personality assessment tools
Various other personality assessment tools are employed to explore and understand individual traits. My own training on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in 2003 and my continued CPD, reading and use of the tool for over 20 years now, makes this my most fluent helping hand in my counselling practice. More recently my training in the Big Five Personality Traits in 2021 has given me a brand new perspective and precision in my client work. Some prominent and note worthy assessment tools alongside the (MBTI) and the Big Five Personality Traits include:
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Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI):
Assesses psychological disorders and identifies behavioral patterns.
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DiSC Assessment:
Dominance Influence Steadiness Conscientiousness
16PF (16 Personality Factors) Questionnaire:
Measures a range of personality traits beyond the Big Five.
Enneagram:
Categorizes individuals into nine interconnected personality types.
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StrengthsFinder (CliftonStrengths):
Identifies and ranks an individual's top strengths among 34 themes.
Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI):
Evaluates normal-range personality based on the socio-analytic theory.
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And for fun:
lots of online tests that declare which film or TV character you are from famous stories such as Lord of the rings, Star wars and Harry Potter. Surprisingly useful! Perhaps because of the deep themes in all stories resonating with archetypal psychology from meta models such as the 'Hero's Journey' cross cultural mono myth, we can find our kindred spirits in the arts and relate this to our own personality development arcs.
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Bring your favorite:
These tools, and more provide valuable insights for personal and professional development, career guidance, and enhancing self-awareness within the context of person-centered counseling. By all means bring your favourite one to our sessions, I will do my due diligence and research what I need to assist you in your counselling process.
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New:
As an aside, a new and related area I am starting to explore is Dr. Matin Seligmans most recent research and questionnaires on positive psychology, which can help measure your 'Overall Happiness', 'Enduring Happiness', 'Character Strengths', 'Work-Life Satisfaction' , 'Flourishing' and so on, which I think will be useful for some clients. See his website for more information on this fascinating pioneering new area; https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/testcenter