Episode 226- Carl Rogers’ 19 Propositions – Vicarious Trauma - Autistic People

LINKS
Handout Download - https://counsellingtutor.com/counsell...

Quinn’s website https://www.autistamatic.com/

Quinn's Youtube channel    / autistamatic  

Quinn's Twitter   / autistamatic  

In Episode 226 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly are back with this week’s three topics:

• In ‘Counselling Foundations’, Rory and Ken discuss the dreaded 19 Propositions of Carl Rogers.
• Then in ‘Focus on Self’, we look at recognising vicarious trauma.
• And finally in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks to Quinn Dexter on why we shouldn’t use person -first language to describe autistic people.

Carl Rogers’ 19 Propositions [02:20]

In this section, Rory and Ken discuss some observations on the 19 Propositions of Carl Rogers:

• They're essentially 19 different ways people perceive the world.
• They're quite heavy with academic language.
• Just a theory of phenomenology – how we act based on how we perceive.
• It may help to think about how the propositions can be applied to small children – they seem to be written with this in mind.

How to Identify Vicarious Trauma [12:58]

Within your practice, it is crucial to look after yourself and prevent a possible burnout. One thing to be cautious of in order to avoid this is vicarious trauma.

The key points of this discussion are as follows:

• Dealing with a lot of heavy material takes its toll.
• You may find yourself thinking about a clients material more often than you should:
o Being unable to sleep very well.
o Being unable to watch people be cruel to each other (in films, for example).
o You may also eventually find yourself trying to avoid a client’s material in the room.
• Try to balance your practice – be mindful of how many trauma clients you have.

Why We Shouldn’t Use Person-First Language to Describe Autistic People
[21:45]

In part one of an interview with Quinn Dexter of the YouTube channel ‘Autistamatic’, Rory discusses why, against what is widely taught, we shouldn’t use person-first language to describe autistic people.

The main points of this interview include:

• The separation of the individual from their condition implies that autism is something shameful.
• Terms such as high/low functioning and ‘on the spectrum’, can actually be highly insulting.
• Biased empathy – it is wrong to believe that autistic individuals have no empathy; it is simply judged by their own values and beliefs and can therefore often cause misunderstandings.
• There is a need for counselling and better understanding.
• In Episode 227, part two of this interview will discuss some essential insights therapists need to understand when counselling autistic people.