ABSTRACT
John Rowan, in The Future of Training in Psychotherapy and Counselling, observes that, whilst it is relatively easy to distinguish newly qualified practitioners from each other according to the model that formed the basis of their training, it becomes much more difficult the more years of post-qualification experience they acquire. Humanistic psychotherapy, which is epitomised in the work of Carl Rogers, Fritz Perls and Eric Berne et al., is characterised, as its name suggests, by its belief in humanity. There is nothing wrong, negative or intrinsically evil about a newborn infant who, given appropriate responses from their environment, will strive towards this self-fulfilment. A Google search for ‘Sexuality in the work of Carl Rogers’ brought up some interesting articles on the use of person-centred techniques with sexual minorities and survivors of sexual abuse but nothing at all on the place of sexuality in his actual work.
