The relationship in which change takes place

According to the person-centred approach, human beings possess a natural capacity for growth. For this capacity to be activated, however, specific relational conditions are needed. Carl Rogers, the founder of the approach, described these as the six necessary and sufficient conditions for therapeutic change. They are not techniques or interventions, but qualities of the relationship. […]

A therapeutic meeting in the person-centred approach

Person-centred therapy begins where the client is. It does not require preparation, a clearly defined goal, or the ability to speak “in the right way”. It does not require preparation, a clearly defined goal, or the ability to speak “in the right way”. The starting point can be whatever is most present at a given […]

Effectiveness of the person-centred approach

Person-centred therapy is sometimes described as “just talking”, often with the implication that it is less effective than other approaches, particularly those described as evidence-based. I would like to pause here to consider what effectiveness actually means, and how differently it can be understood depending on a person’s needs, personality, and stage of life. The […]

Why change is possible

The person-centred approach is a strand within humanistic psychology, developed in the mid-twentieth century by Carl Rogers. According to its assumptions, psychological difficulties arise when people live in conditions that require them to deny their own experience. In other words, what from the outside may be described as resistance, avoidance, or maladjustment is understood from […]