Humanistic Psychology of Carl Rogers: Understanding the Person-Centered Approach

Carl Rogers, one of the most influential psychologists of all time, was a pioneer of humanistic psychology and the originator of the person-centered approach. The person-centered approach is characterized by a trust in people to find their own directions in life when they are in the right social environment: one that is genuine, empathic, and unconditionally accepting. Rogers called it a 'quiet revolution, ' realizing that what he had developed was a way of being in the world and with other people that challenged hierarchical structures of power and control. He sparked a revolution in practice that is still relevant today.

Despite Rogers' legacy, his ideas are often diluted, misrepresented, and misunderstood. The Humanistic Psychology of Carl Rogers positions Rogers' humanistic approach clearly within contemporary psychology and the wider field of human flourishing. Stephen A. Joseph shows how it is applied to downstream activities such as therapy and coaching, as well as upstream activities such as education and organizational scholarship, and indeed how it can be applied to all human relationships. The book provides a holistic overview of Rogers' approach, acknowledges its subversive and challenging elements, and details what it can look like in practice. Joseph shows that Rogers' theory is not just of historical interest, but that its principles are grounded in current scholarship and increasingly recognized as important to solving the problems of the modern world.