Training

Registration and Training Information for

Deepening Connection to Self
Utilizing Carl Rogers's Approach

An interactive group training that offers participants the unique opportunity to directly experience Rogers's approach and explore its challenges and ethical dilemmas.

Target audience is psychologists, social workers, MFTs, counselors. The course content level: Advanced level.

Facilitated by
Curtis Graf, Ph.D.
A colleague of the late Dr. Carl R. Rogers from 1978 to 1986, Dr. Graf has specialized for 40 years in Rogers's group approach to continuing education.

Training Location:
Brattleboro, VT

November 13 - 16, 2026

Training begins Friday 2:00 pm and ends Sunday 6:00 pm

Self-selected Participation Fee
(See Registration below for more details about
the self-selected participation fee.)

Training Description:

We live in times of divisive and polarised viewpoints that increasingly challenge therapists' ability to listen to clients who express values so opposite their own. This experential workshop utilizes Carl Rogers's person-centered approach to explore how therapists can genuinely and unconditionally listen to clients who present radically different viewpoints.

Rogers's approach is not easily taught but requires experiencing an immersion in the characteristics of this way of being. This 20-hour training is an interactive group process that offers participants the unique opportunity to directly experience Rogers's approach and to explore the challenges that arise in practicing genuine, unconditional listening.

This workshop offers a total of 20 CE hours including 6 ethics.

Testimonials:

"I am happy to let you all know that our weekend training group was so meaningful for me. Each of your contributions were uniquely meaningful, emotional, and lovely. I so appreciate all of us making ourselves known to one another, and I would to like thank Curtis for making us feel safe by providing the necessary and sufficient conditions! Personally speaking, I feel the group was so generous to me, and I'm very happy to have belonged."
-Alan Majerol, Brooklyn, NY

"Thanks for an awesome experience. Since coming back to work I have been feeling the benefit of my participation in the workshop, in that I am feeling more aware of my immediate emotional response to others and the group process, and comfortable in sharing it -- while trusting the process more and letting go more of needing to control it."
-Tris Dashti-Gibson, Eliot, ME

"Curtis, I marvel at your gift to facilitate the group, to reflect right at the heart of the matter and to be very empathic all at the same time. I grew professionally and as a person."
-Paul Groleau, Manchester, ME

"This was the most loving, wise group I have ever experienced. That is what I really needed in this professional turning point - to feel loved and accepted and encouraged to follow my heart instead of my head. Curtis, I appreciate you so much more than I could ever put into words."
-Linda Bagshaw, Auburn, NH

"Just wanted to say thanks for a wonderful weekend! I feel so much richness came from the weekend! I keep having great insights. Thanks for your gentle loving way Curtis."
-Lisa Gold, Concord, MA

"Thank you once again for a beautiful and healing experience."
-Patricia Moore, Lincoln, MA

MAIN POINTS OF TRAINING:

Demonstrate Carl Rogers's central hypothesis and core conditions.
Define the challenges of applying Rogers's approach with clients.
Explain the ethics of Rogers's approach.
Practice being accepting of clients with differing values.
Summarize counselor challenges of being genuine with clients.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Describe the central hypothesis of Rogers's way of being.
Identify the necessary three conditions of Rogers's approach.
Differentiate genuineness from unconditional acceptance and empathy.
Identify the ethical basis for Rogers's emphasis on genuineness.
Demonstrate how being genuine can conflict with being empathic.
Indicate how being genuine can conflict with being accepting.
Relate how personal judgments and convictions influence genuineness.
Specify how the experience of genuine listening relates to client healing.
Differentiate the impact of insincere versus genuine empathy.
Identify some of your ethical dilemmas of providing genuine listening.
Summarize how Rogers's core conditions interact and intercept.
Relate how you experienced a client who presented conflicting values.
Describe a personal conviction that is hard for you to let go of.
Explain how being judgmental interferes with being fully accepting.
Summarize your weaknesses in being genuinely accepting.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bozarth & Haugh. Unconditional Positive Regard. In The Handbook of Person-Centered Psychotherapy and Counseling (3rd ed., pp. 200-211) Bloomsbury Academic. 2024
Brown, Christine. Understanding Person-Centred Counselling: A Personal Journey. Sage, London, UK. 2014
Camp, C. & Camp, L. Teaching Empathy and Conflict Resolution to People with Dementia: A Guide for Person-Centered Practice. Jessica Kingsley Publisher, London, UK. 2018
Hayes, Steven, Strosahl, Kiek, & Wilson, Kelly. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Guildford Press, New York City, NY. 2016
Natiello, Peggy. The Person-Centered Approach: a passionate presence. PCCS Books, Ross-on-Wye, UK. 2001
Patterson, C.H. Understanding Psychotherapy: Fifty years of Client-centred Theory and Practice. PCCS Books, Ross-on-Wye, UK. 2014
Quinn, Adam. A Person-Centered Approach and the Rogerian Tradition: A Handbook. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Louisville, KY. 2015
Rogers, Carl. A Way of Being. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. 1980
Wilkins, Paul. Person-Centred Therapy: 100 Key Points, 2nd edition, Routlledge, London, UK. 2015

Training Schedule and Outline:

Friday
2:00 - 4:00 Introduction and Orientation to Group Process (2 credits)
4:00 - 4:15 Break
4:15 - 6:15 Experiential Group Process (2 credits)

Saturday
9:00 -11:00 The Foundation for Rogers's approach (2 credits)
11:00 - 11:15 Break
11:15 - 1:15 The three conditions of Rogers's Way of Being (2 credits)
1:15 - 2:00 Lunch Break
2:00 - 4:00 Exploring the challenges of genuineness (2 credits)
4:00 - 4:15 Break
4:15 - 6:15 Introduction to the Ethics of Rogers's approach (2 credits)
6:15 - 7:00 Dinner Break
7:00 - 9:00 Experiential Group Process (2 credits)

Sunday
10:00 - 12:00 Ethical considerations with divisive clients (2 credits)
12:00 - 2:00 Lunch Break
2:00 - 4:00 Genuineness & ethical dilemmas (2 credits)
4:00 - 4:15 Break
4:15 - 6:15 Ethics Summary & Closing Group Process (2 credits, 20 total)

Registration:

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the training, registration, or whether there is space available.

cgraf@sover.net or call: 505-977-6215

Self-selected Fee: Sliding Scale $200 to $500

In order to determine the fee you select, consider your financial resources and the value you place on the experience. Those who can pay more than the average of $350, can help participants from lower incomes.

To register: Email or call Curtis Graf to reserve a place in the training. If space is available, Curtis will reserve a place for you and ask that you determine your self-selected fee and bring a check to the first training session, November 13. Make checks payable to Curtis Graf.

Cancellation policy: If unable to attend, please inform Curtis Graf at least one week prior to the training.

Continuing Education Credits:

Offers 20 continuing education credits including 6 ethics credits.

CUE Management Solutions, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CUE Management Solutions, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0242. CUE Management Solutions, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CUE Management Solutions, LLC will send an evaluation to all attendees and CE certificates will be issued thereafter.

If you have a concern or grievance with regard to this training, please contact Curtis Graf at 505-977-6215.

There is no conflict of interest or commercial support for this program.