ABSTRACT
Carl Rogers, founder of the person-centered approach, is best known for his principles governing the conditions that facilitate a therapeutic relationship. The central idea in the Rogerian approach is that if the practitioner is empathetic, accepts the client with unconditional positive regard, and is genuine in his or her respect for the client, positive change will occur. Rogers's approach to helping, which is almost universally accepted, is also associated with the importance of the social worker-client relationship to personality growth, change, and development. Rogers's client-centered approach strongly emphasized the person or the developing self. Rogers, in reaction to the directive nature of traditional approaches to psychotherapy, began calling his therapeutic method "nondirective counseling." Because existential philosophy as expressed by Rogerian practitioners places a high value on the personal meaning of a client's experiences, it has several features that make it well suited for cross-cultural social work practice.
