Interpersonal and communication skills

Carl Rogers (1902-1987) is “best known for his contribution to client-centred therapy and his role in the development of counselling” (www.infed.org/thinker/et-roger.html) Rogers therapy was originally called ‘non-directive’ because Rogers felt that the therapist should not lead the client in anyway. Rogers felt that he had influenced his clients too much with his non-directive ness and soon changed the name to ‘client-centred’ therapy. One of the ways in which Rogers describes his therapy is “supportive, not reconstructive” (www.ship.edu/~cgborer/rogers.html) and he uses the analogy of learning to ride a bicycle to explain: ‘when you help a child to learn to ride a bike, you can’t just tell them how, they have to try it for themselves. You can’t hold them up the whole time, if they fall, let them because if you hang on they will never learn. This is the same in therapy if you are helping the client to achieve something, then they will not achieve it if they are d...