Client-Centered Therapy

Client-Centered Therapy or Person-Centered Therapy, now considered a founding work in the humanistic school of psychotherapies, began formally with Carl Ransom Rogers (born January 8, 1902 in Oak Park, Illinois, died February 4, 1987), broadly considered the most influenctial US psychotherapist in the short history of this field. "Rogerian" psychotherapy is often identified as one of the major school groups, along with Psychoanalytic (most famously Sigmund Freud), Depth Therapy which bridges from Psychoanalytic through archetypal, mythographical, dream, and unconscious material to existentialists like Rollo May, and the increasingly popular Cognitive-Behavioral school. Others acknowledge Rogers' broad influence on approach, while naming a humanistic or humanistic-existentialist school group; there is large debate over what constitute major schools and cross-influences with more tangential candidates such as feminist, Gestalt, British school, self psychology, interpersonal, family systems, integrative, systemic and communicative, with several historical influences seeding them such as object-relations.

Related Topics:
Psychotherapies - Carl Ransom Rogers - January 8 - 1902 - Oak Park, Illinois - February 4 - 1987 - Psychoanalytic - Sigmund Freud - Depth Therapy - Rollo May - Cognitive-Behavioral school

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rogers affirmed individual personal experience as the basis and standard for living and therapeutic effect. 3 attitudinal requirements in an effective therapist, in his view, include empathy with the patient's emotions and perspective, genuineness, and unqualified positive regard for the patient. Both active and passive aspects of empathy in the therapist have been identified. This emphasis contrasts with the dispassionate position which may be intended in other therapies. Living in the present rather than the past or future, with organismic trust, naturalistic faith in your own thoughts and the accuracy in your feelings, and a responsible acknowledgement of your freedom, with a view toward participating fully in our world, contributing to other people's lives, are hallmarks of Roger's Client-Centered Therapy.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~