'What is evident from this book is how widely Carl Rogers' ideas have spread throughout the humanistic scene - and how valuable they have been.' - Self & Society '...a stimulating, enjoyable book and I recommend it to anyone interested in the person-centred approach.' - Counselling This book is edited by David Brazier and includes his chapter "The Necessary Condition is Love".

"Rogers, founder of the humanistic psychology movement and father of client-centered therapy ... traces his professional development from the sixties to the eighties and ends with a person-centered prophecy in which [he] calls for a more humane future."--Back cover.

Written by leaders in the field of relational integrative psychotherapy, this book offers trainees and experienced therapists a methodology for assisting people in rediscovering their ability to maintain genuine relationships and, thus, better psychological health. This classic edition includes a new preface by Richard G. Erskine that reflects on changes in the field since the book’s first publication. Drawing from Rogers' client-centered therapy, Berne's transactional analysis, Perls' Gestalt therapy, Kohut's self-psychology, and the work of British object-relations theorists, this book accessibly introduces the authors’ Keyhole theory while using real life interchanges between therapists and clients to illustrate key concepts. The second part of the book details the application of this method in therapy work and provides transcripts from seven therapy sessions. These include examples of relational psychotherapy, psychotherapeutic regression, working with a parental introject, couple psychotherapy, as well as detailed explanations of the therapeutic methods. An undoubtable classic, the book’s conversational style makes the theory and methods of a relationally based integrative psychotherapy come alive. This versatile approach to therapy promises to be effective across a wide range of therapeutic situations, making this a valuable book for both students and practicing clinicians throughout the spectrum of mental healthcare providers.

`This book is a monumental achievement, and person-centred practitioners will be indebted to Goff Barrett-Lennard for many years to come. He has written no only a definitive study of the history of person-centred approach - what he calls a report of the "evolutionary course of a human science" - but also an accompanying commentary which is unfailingly enlightening, sometimes provocative and occasional lyrical′ - Brian Thorne, Emeritus Professor of Counselling, University of East Anglia and Co-Founder, Norwich Centre `I highly recommend this book as a reference source of major import, as bibliography, as history as art, and as a complex discussion of questions that plague the person-centred practitioner and the client-centred therapist′ - The Person-Centered Journal `If you only ever buy one book about the Person-Centred Approach, other than those written by Rogers himself, this is the one. It is a staggering achievement by one of the most knowledgeable writers in the field′ - PCP Reviews `This book is a gem, and should have wide appeal. It is an excellent introduction to person-centred psychology, written in accessible style, and it takes the reader beyond the simplicity often confused with naivety Goff Barrett-Lennard reveals a sophisticated complexity that challenges us to view the "person" with fresh eyes and an open mind′ - Tony Merry, University of East London `I strongly recommend this book as a sophisticated treatment of the client-or person-centred approach to therapy and its applications to areas outside therapy. It is also a useful overview of research on all aspects of person-centred ideas′ - Psychotherapy Research `This book... is not a single "meal" in itself but a positive "larder" containing every imaginable staple food and condiment all exquisitely and thoroughly researched. The book took Godfrey T Barrett-Lennard 20 years to write and it will stand as a reference text for person-centred specialists for longer than that... an essential reference text... and a pantry full of delicious surprises′ - Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Journal of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy `Probably the most important piece of work on the person-centred approach to have emerged in recent years... an essential source of reference for anyone with a serious interest in the person-centred approach′ - Counselling News Written by an ex-student and long-time colleague of Carl Rogers, this in-depth and challenging book charts the development of person-centred therapy from its origins through to the present day. Godfrey T Barrett-Lennard traces the central concepts and key figures within the movement, set against the contemporary historical, social and political context. As an integrated overview of the person-centred approach, Carl Rogers′ Helping System presents a wealth of fascinating ideas and information which is linked to a fresh, incisive account of the unfolding theory, process and research.

Brian Thorne?s latest book is likely to cause something of a furore in the counselling and psychotherapy world and more particularly among person-centred practitioners and pastoral counsellors. ?The Mystical Power of Person-Centred Therapy? takes the later work of Carl Rogers with the utmost seriousness and, as a result, moves into unexpected and perhaps, for some, dangerously controversial terrain. Rogers discovered towards the end of his life that he had greatly underestimated both the mystical quality of the therapeutic process and the power of the person-centred approach to give access to the spiritual dimension of experience. Professor Thorne takes this concept further and explores the implications of regarding person-centred therapy as an essentially spiritual discipline. The outcome is a book which not only provides new and startling challenges for therapists of all orientations but also suggests that the person-centred way of being may have a major contribution to make to the resolution of some of humanity?s seemingly intractable problems. It should appeal not only to therapists but also to clergy and all those concerned with the spiritual evolution of humanity. In the light of the events of September 11th 2001 and their aftermath such a book could not come at a more opportune time.