Abstract:
Taking inspiration from a paper given by Carl Rogers in 1965 to a meeting of the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (Victorian Branch) at the University of Melbourne, this article discusses Rogers’ approach to the therapeutic relationship, research, and the education/training of therapists, highlighting what we see as the radicalness of his original work and theorising. While the person-centred approach is still popular and, in some senses, quite mainstream in many countries including Aotearoa New Zealand, the article argues that the radicalness of person-centred therapy has not been fully embraced in this country, and offers some reflections on how its theory and practice might foster contactful, genuine, acceptant, and empathic relationships beyond its original horizons.