Carl Rogers
(1902-1987)
Rogers, Carl Ransom (1902-1987), was an American psychologist.Rogers was born in Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.A. He is known for developing a form of psychotherapy called client-centred therapy. Rogers, with a background in liberal theology and progressive educational philosophy of John Dewey, received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1931. His training helped him to gain deep insights into Freud's dynamic psychology as well as in rigorous scientific, statistical and objective psychology that determined psychological thinking during his stay at the University. In Rogers' theory of Person and Psychotherapy, there is a fine blend of these two almost opposite trends. Carl Rogers'
theory
of Personality is based on self concept and the concept of
self-actualization |
Rogerian therapy
i.e. Client centred or Person centred therapy keeps a very significant place in
psychology. Client-centred therapy is based on the belief that individuals are controlled by their own values and choices rather than by other factors such as the environment or unconscious drives. Its goal is to help people
fulfill their unique potential, which is called self-actualization. In developing
client-centred therapy, Rogers emphasized the need for a close relationship between the patient (client) and the therapist
(counsellor). He stressed the importance of the client's personal understanding of his or her experiences instead of the counsellor's interpretation of them. In
client-centred therapy, clients gain insights into their problems through the examination of their experiences. The counsellor does not explain the meaning of experiences or tell the clients what to do. He wrote a number of books. On Becoming a Person, probably his best-known work, was published in 1961. |
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