Rogers, Carl Ransom (1902-1987), was an American psychologist. He was one of the pioneers who developed humanistic psychology. This movement developed as a revolt against behaviorism and psychoanalysis, the two most popular psychological views of the mid-1900’s. Humanistic psychologists believe individuals control their own values and choices instead of being controlled by the environment, as behaviorists think, or by unconscious drives, as psychoanalysts believe. Rogers is known for developing a form of psychotherapy called client-centered therapy.
Client-centered therapy is based on the belief that individuals are controlled by their own values and choices rather than by such other factors as the environment or unconscious drives. Its goal is to help people fulfill their unique potential, which is called self-actualization. In developing client-centered therapy, Rogers emphasized the need for a close relationship between the patient (client) and the therapist (counselor). He stressed the importance of the client’s personal understanding of his or her experiences instead of the counselor’s interpretation of them. In client-centered therapy, clients gain insights into their problems through the examination of their experiences. The counselor does not explain the meaning of experiences or tell the clients what to do.
Rogers was born in Oak Park, Illinois. He wrote a number of books. On Becoming a Person, probably his best-known work, was published in 1961. He died on Feb. 4, 1987.
