Carl Rogers

Carl Rogers was a highly influential psychologist specializing in the field of humanism. His work led to many important contributions and he changed the way we view the world and people in a drastic way. His person-centered approach, specifically, has significant meaning for me, as someone who wants to be a counselor. In his study of personalities and how we interrelate to one another, he discovered some techniques that work well in counseling. Because of this, this theory has had wide spread success and application in many domains of psychotherapy. He worked in client-centered therapy, education, and for other groups and organizations to help people. He received many awards in his lifetime, including the Noble Peace Prize for his work in conflict resolution in South Africa as well as Northern Ireland. So what do his ideals have to teach us today? For starters, I want to comment on how much I respect and admire Rogers for work. Many of the ideas he formulated match up with my ideas, too. He focused on the individual and how we all interrelate in a web of relationships. I think it’s important to look not just at the person you are speaking to but who and where they come from. People feel an innate desire to be needed and loved, and Rogers recognized that. This is a form of redemption because it sheds light on our internal desires and provides ways to address and work towards fixing them.