Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was an psychologist and founder of the person-centered approach. For nearly forty years, Rogers presided over American psychotherapy, shaping its practice and changing many of its assumptions irrevocably. But Rogers left his mark on more than psychotherapy: he is one of the few psychotherapists whose writings enjoyed great popular success. In addition, the influence of his thought spans multiple disciplines, from the education, social work, and even politics.
Certain of the core principles of person-centered therapy, such as the crucial importance of empathy, close listening, and the therapeutic alliance, appear so obvious and ingrained in current counselor education and practice, that it is easy to forget that these ideas possess a genealogy, and seem so blindingly obvious now that it is difficult to credit that there was once a time when they were innovations. Nearly forty-years after his death, Rogers' ideas retain their place, not only as part of counseling theory and practice, but as part of the collective intuition of the discipline. He didn't merely change counseling theory and practice; he changed the way counselors think--about their work and about their clients.
Trust is at the center of Rogers thought. If the client does not trust that the therapist has his or her best interest in mind, then psychotherapy will be ineffective, no matter the quality of the therapist's education and professional expertise. Besides this so-called "professional expertise" may often prove to be illusory, or even worse, an obstacle to understanding: after all, "it is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried" (Rogers, 1961). The therapist, then, must cultivate a posture of humility before the client, coming beside him or her as a companion rather than as an authority with the goal of working to remove obstacles to the client's own understanding. Person-centered therapy is as much a posture, then, as a theory: a posture of compassion, humility, and gentleness toward the client. Rogers' insisted that this posture was the furthest thing from meek pliability. It requires a great deal of self-assurance, intelligence, and creativity to enter fully into the life of another person, especially if that person is confused, distressed, or otherwise burdened.
In this LibGuide, you will find a number of resources for exploring the life and legacy of Carl Rogers, from recordings of his sessions with clients, to biographical information, to his writings and the writings of others on person-centered therapy.
Rogers, C. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist's view of Psychotherapy. Constable.
This excerpt taken from a 1957 article published by Rogers in the Journal of Consulting Psychology, serves as an excellent summary of the person-centered method, in which the therapist assumes the role of the facilitator, gently removing obstacles from client growth and enabling them to find their own way to insight. In the person-centered model, the therapist comes alongside the client as a non-authoritative presence, listening carefully, and providing kindness and compassion at every turn. In this model, all of the therapist's knowledge and expertise count for less than nothing if they are not accompanied by "empathic understanding."
"For constructive personality change to occur, it is necessary that these conditions exist and continue over a period of time:
No other conditions are necessary. If these six conditions exist, and continue over a period of time, this is sufficient. The process of constructive personality change will flow" (Rogers, 1957, p. 96).
Rogers, C. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2). 95-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0045357