Person-Centered Therapy

Person-centered therapy is a humanistic approach to psychotherapy developed by Carl Rogers beginning in the 1940s, extending into the 1980s. It holds that a client possesses the resources for self-understanding and constructive change, and that the therapist's role is to provide a supportive, non-directive relationship marked by unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence rather than expert diagnosis or interpretation. It was brought to wide public attention through Rogers's 1951 book Client-Centered Therapy and remains foundational to humanistic and person-centered approaches across counseling, education, and organizational life.