Person Centred

Person-centred therapy, originally called client-centred therapy, is perhaps the best-known form of humanistic therapy. Founded by Carl Rogers in the 1940's, Person-centred therapy gives more responsibility to the client in their own treatment and views humans in a positive manner. Rogers had great faith that we could and would work out our own problems.
Focusing on the 'here and now', a person-centred therapist will gently guide the client towards self-awareness. They will support the client to trust in him or herself and to use this trust to find their direction in life. It is important that both therapist and client have faith that the client can and will find self-direction.
The person-centred therapist believes good mental health requires a balance between the ideal self and real self ... the need to somehow reconcile who we wished we were and who we actually are can cause us a great deal of inner angst.
Person-centred therapy emphasises understanding and caring rather than diagnosis, advice, and persuasion. Rogers strongly believed that the therapist-client relationship has a significant influence on the quality of therapy: he felt that effective therapists must be genuine, accepting, and empathic. A genuine therapist expresses interest in the client and is open and honest. An accepting therapist cares for the client unconditionally, even if the therapist does not always agree with him or her. An empathic therapist demonstrates a deep understanding of the client's thoughts, ideas, experiences, and feelings.
Many therapists, not just those of humanistic orientation, have adopted elements of Rogers' approach.
Back to Types of Therapy
At a glance
- Temenos Journal (26)
- Time (15)
- Friendship (4)
- Dreams (3)
- Authenticity and Play (1)
- Progress and Process (1)
- Bliss and Awareness (1)
- Poetry (3)
- Conversations (2)
- Reviews (10)
- Books (3)
- Films (8)
- Music (1)
- Library (64)
- Anxiety and Depression (5)
- Burnout and Balance (4)
- Career and Calling (2)
- Communication (1)
- Culture and Society (7)
- Education and Ethics (2)
- Emotions (5)
- Family and Parenting (15)
- Grief and Loss (4)
- Human Condition (9)
- Personality and Identity (3)
- Health and Wellbeing (1)
- Relationships (13)
- Trauma (4)
- Therapy (20)
- Professional Training (3)
- Conferences (1)
- Practitioners (1)
- Good Therapy News (2)
- Philosophical Enquiry (14)
- Forum Questions (174)
- July 2022 (1)
- November 2019 (1)
- September 2019 (1)
- June 2017 (1)
- May 2017 (2)
- September 2016 (1)
- August 2015 (1)
- July 2015 (1)
- November 2014 (1)
- October 2014 (2)
- June 2014 (2)
- May 2014 (1)
- April 2014 (2)
- January 2014 (1)
- November 2013 (3)
- October 2013 (1)
- September 2013 (2)
- August 2013 (5)
- June 2013 (17)
- April 2013 (1)
- August 2012 (1)
- June 2012 (1)
- January 2012 (2)
- November 2011 (1)
- November 2010 (1)
- June 2010 (1)
- May 2010 (1)
- February 2010 (1)
- January 2010 (1)
- February 2009 (4)
- June 2008 (1)
- May 2008 (1)
- March 2007 (1)
- December 2006 (2)
- September 2006 (1)
- July 2006 (3)
- May 2006 (1)
- March 2006 (2)
- February 2006 (1)
- November 2005 (2)
- October 2005 (2)
- September 2005 (2)
- August 2005 (10)
- July 2005 (3)
- May 2005 (3)
- April 2005 (1)
- March 2005 (4)
- February 2005 (1)
- January 2005 (3)
- December 2004 (2)
- November 2004 (6)
- September 2004 (1)
- July 2004 (2)