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Abstract
Initially starting from person centered therapy according to Rogers'
-
propositions, the author relates his observations over 20 years. Those
observation led him to explore an important fact that occurred during
therapy: the majority of clients who attended counseling or thera-
peutic sessions would improve as long as they were able to attribute
the reasons for their problems and difficulties to themselves and
not to externaI ca~s. An important question was then raiIed by the
author: would thete be any psychological phenomenon related to the
self-concept that could be responsible for better adjustment? Eighty
clients (adults and adolescents, male and female, of different social
and economic. status) were observed. A checklist with 13 indicat()rs
of progress was unformally used to guide the observation. All clients,
independent of their social or economic status, showed improvement
strongly associated with -à.lterations in their self-image, self-esteem,
self-conêept and. self-assertion. A new hypothesis is possible: self-
assertion is one of the most significant determinants of human beha-
vior - perhaps the most prevailing goal of human life. The impU-
cations of these results for the revision of theories of motivation -and
therapy techniques are discussed. .
84 A.B.P. 4/83